Muscat – Kenyan Eliud Too and two Ugandans Bernard Cheptoch and Jackson Kiprop took the top three places in the annual Al Mouj Muscat Marathon. The women’s category was a clean sweep for Kenyan runners Sophy Jepchirchir, Emmah Cheruto Ndiwa and Norah Chebet claiming first, second and third places.

The Al Mouj Muscat Marathon 2022 proved to be a fine example of Oman’s potential to become one of the world’s leading long-distance running locations. Featuring a full marathon, half marathon and 10km run, the first day – on Friday – began early as thousands of athletes took to the start line for the 6am starting gun.

After 33 minutes and 30 seconds, the first runner to cross the line in the 10km run was Mohammad Bagheri Taj Amir, followed by Majid bin Mohammed bin Khalfan al Jahdami in a time of 33 minutes and 41 seconds and Salim al Shukaili in third place with a time of 34 minutes and seven seconds. The first female to cross the line was Andrea Kovarova in a time of 56 minutes and 22 seconds. Hanan Abdullah came in second in a time of 57 minutes and 20 seconds and the third finisher was Girlie Calvario clocking in 57 minutes and 28 seconds.

The next batch of runners to cross the finishing line came from the half marathon. Inyasi Sulley from Tanzania won the race with an impressive time of one hour and three minutes, closely followed by Issac Kibet from Uganda in one hour and four minutes. Abdelali Bouazzaoui from Morocco finished third in a time of one hour and six minutes.

An hour later, the marathon runners began to appear on the horizon. Eliud Too from Kenya showed his desire and determination, leading the field across the line in a time of two hours and 17 minutes. Bernard Cheptoch from Uganda finished second in a time of two hours and 19 minutes, with Jackson Kiprop from Uganda coming third in a time of two hours and 20 minutes. The first female to cross the line was Sophy Jepchirchir from Kenya in a time of two hours and 26 minutes. Finishing in close after was Emmah Cheruto Ndiwa from Kenya in two hours and 38 minutes and the third competitor to finish was Norah Chebet from Kenya in a time of two hours and 44 minutes.

After the elite athletes took centre stage on day one, the second day – on Saturday – saw the fun runners and children, many taking part in their first ever Al Mouj Muscat Marathon race showing that there is a race for everyone.

Leading off with the 5km run, the day once again began early as thousands of athletes – including official race ambassadors Ali al Habsi, Oman’s legendary goalkeeper, and renowned broadcaster and television personality Ibtihal al Zadjali – set off.

In the Kids’ Runs, runners in the 1km race set a ferocious pace, with the first runner crossing the line after just four minutes. Zaid Yusuf Said al Dhamri took the gold and Edmund Brett came in second, notching a time of four minutes and six seconds. Yarub al Yarubi finished third in a time of four minutes and seven seconds.

The 2km race was won by Layan al Batrani in a time of seven minutes and six seconds ahead of Al Mutasim al Harrasi in second with a time of eight minutes and nine seconds. Nibras al Muselhi finished third in a time of eight minutes and 20 seconds.

The 3km race was just as close. After a tough battle, the overall race winners were Zahra Yaqoob Mohammed al Naabi, who crossed the finishing line first in a time of eight minutes and seven seconds ahead of Osama al Rahbi in second with a time of ten minutes and 52 seconds. Aditya Wandre finished third in a time of 11 minutes and 14 seconds.

On the occasion, Ali al Ajmi, General Manager of Sabco Sports, organiser of the event, said, “This was a perfect example of how strong-willed athletes have to be. These are very long distances across the terrain and the training has been challenging, but to see the smiles on the faces of every finisher makes it all worthwhile. The crowd has certainly enjoyed the occasion too, with hundreds of spectators cheering on the finishers all along the route and at the finishing line.”

Nasser al Sheibani, CEO of Al Mouj Muscat, added, “This entire weekend has been a spectacular event, showing the very best of community, athleticism and fun. Oman is the perfect destination for sporting events and Al Mouj Muscat the ideal location to host such a diverse and vibrant event. Seeing spectators cheering on the runners over both days is really great and with so much to do at Al Mouj Muscat, it is no surprise that so many stayed at the destination long into the evening.”

The marathon, half-marathon and 10km runs are all certified by world-running organisation AIMS, aligning the event with World Athletics standards, meaning completing the race adds to a runners’ ranking which enables them to compete in high-profile events around the world.