Get set to walk or run at Gulf Bank Marathon
Marathon starts at Souq Sharq on Nov 14
KUWAIT CITY, Nov 11: Kuwait is set to witness its first full road race on Saturday, Nov 14 at 8:00 am with the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon, starting from Souq Sharq.
Through a strategic three-year partnership between Gulf Bank and ProVision Sport Management Company, a leader in sports management with unique specialist experience in the creation and organization of sporting events, a unique marathon sporting event will come to life and will be promoting a healthy lifestyle for people in Kuwait.
Mrs Salma Al-Hajjaj, Gulf Bank’s General Manager for Human Resources said, “We are very pleased with the overall progress and participation level so far. This is the first marathon to be accredited in Kuwait and we are proud of our partnership with Pro-Vision Sport Management for this significant event. The Dasman Diabetes Institute will also be a part of the race where they will be on hand to raise awareness about ways to combat the alarmingly high rates of obesity and diabetes in Kuwait.”
“We believe that this event is a step towards encouraging a healthier lifestyle in Kuwait. We encourage more people to take part in one of the five category races, including a run for those with special needs, we have planned this coming Saturday, and look forward to welcoming you all there.
Ahmad Al-Majed, Managing Partner of Pro Vision Sport Management said, “It is our honor to have Gulf Bank as our partner. To date we have registered over 1,700 participants from various ages across all five race categories, and we are ready to welcome them on Saturday. More than 70 nationalities will be represented at the race, and we have people coming in from the US, Europe, the GCC and elsewhere for the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon. Our aim is to work together to improve the lifestyle of the population of Kuwait by encouraging them to include regular exercise and physical activity as essential components of good health.”
The Gulf Bank 642 Marathon races now appears on the international calendar of races, because the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) sent a representative to Kuwait to measure and assess the race path with a special bicycle equipped with a device called a Jones Counter, the only means of measurement accepted by the IAAF for the accurate measurement of road race courses. Following this rigorous assessment, three categories (10-km, 21-km, and 42-km distances) of the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon have been AIMS certified.
AIMS is a member based organization of more than 380 of the world’s leading distance races from over 100 countries. The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Athletics is the world governing body for the sport of track and field athletics. Once a course is AIMS certified, only then is IAAF able to recognize any world records which might take place on the course.
This new marathon event will be held on Saturday, Nov 14, 2015, and will be the first full road race marathon in Kuwait. The date of the event also coincides with World Diabetes Day (WDD) in order to raise awareness of the growing problem of diabetes in Kuwait, and how exercise and fitness play a role in combating this health issue.
In order to appeal to the broadest audience and different fitness levels, there are five race categories, for those who wish to walk or run:
Family Fun Run for new beginners (5-km)
Special Run for special needs (5-
km)
Souq Run for regular runners (10-km)
Half Marathon for more advanced runners (21-km)
Full Marathon (42-km) The Gulf Bank 642 Marathon path passes by many of Kuwait’s landmarks. It starts at Souq Sharq and passes along Gulf Road, Seif Palace, the Kuwait Towers, the Gulf Bank head office, Souq Mubarakiya among other places. The course will be closed to traffic, as per coordination with the Ministry of Interior, to ensure the safety and security of the runners and walkers.
The Pro-Vision Sport Management Company held a successful ‘642 Marathon’ last year in Kuwait and this new partnership with Gulf Bank builds on that success and increases the scope and size of the event. The number 642 represent the number of muscles in the human body.
To register or to find out more about the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon, visit the dedicated website at: www.gulfbank642marathon.com or its Instagram account GulfBank642.