The popular Muscat Marathon is poised to receive worldwide attention after organisers Muscat Road Runners joined forces with Oman Sail and Al Mouj Muscat in a bid to develop the annual event into a ‘must-do’ marathon with global appeal.

Now in its sixth year, the Muscat Marathon has grown steadily in popularity. In January this year, around 600 runners took to the roads around the Sultanate’s capital city, on routes that showcased Muscat’s most striking locations.

With more and more people using long distance running as a platform for leisure travel, the international marathon circuit is flourishing. Muscat Marathon on 27 January 2017 will mark the start of an exciting new era for the race with Al Mouj Muscat, Oman’s lifestyle destination, already committed to the event as title sponsor.

Oman Sail, experienced sports event managers with an outstanding track record of attracting and organising world-class global sporting events, will team up with Muscat Road Runners to focus on boosting the marathon further by increasing entries, raising its profile via international exposure and making it sustainable.

“Sponsoring the Muscat Marathon reflects our trust on the significance of supporting sports tourism as a key contributor to boost tourism sector in the Sultanate and an ideal way to showcase the beautiful Oman and what has to offer. We are delighted to be taking part in an initiative that will promote Oman as a worldwide destination for tourism and sports as well as provide a new opportunity for young Omanis to excel in different fields”, said Nasser bin Masoud Al Sheibani, Acting CEO of Al Mouj Muscat.

The Ministry of Tourism’s comprehensive 2040 strategy indicates that one of Oman’s target sectors is the sports tourist. Statistics worldwide demonstrate the significant economic impact of hosting an internationally renowned marathon.

Speaking about the importance of Sports Tourism, Salim Bin Adey Al Mamari, Director General of Tourism Promotion, Ministry of Tourism, said, “Sports tourism has great potential as a significant contributor to the economy, and therefore is a key aspect of our tourism strategy.  We are confident that the international competitors will use this as a reason to come on holiday to the Sultanate – this is our strategy in action.”

The Muscat Marathon will feature three event distances: the marathon, half-marathon and a 10km run, with routes for all three expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

“The Muscat Marathon is really well organised by the Muscat Road Runners as we have seen from the impressive feedback from participants,” said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail.

“These foundations provide an opportunity to use the expertise of our teams to take this event to the next level. The Ministry of Tourism has pledged to be fully supportive and we are delighted that Al Mouj Muscat has come on board as title sponsor. Our main objective is to create a successful event that is in line with the Ministry of Tourism’s strategy of attracting sports tourists to the country and we are confident that we’ll be able to achieve that through our joint partnership with Muscat Roadrunners and Al Mouj Muscat.”

Ahmed Al Malki, Chairman of the Muscat Road Runners added: “We are very excited to team up with Oman Sail and Al Mouj Muscat because we realise there is so much potential with the Muscat Marathon and feel they are ideal partners to develop the race. We look forward to seeing the marathon develop significantly in the next few years, and are delighted to have the opportunity to work with two organisations that possess the experience to ensure that future marathons are a resounding success.”

To enter the Muscat Marathon, please go to:

https://www.premieronline.com/event/Muscat_Marathon_2017_2024