Young Egyptians take to the streets – to run
Social media help organize meets in Cairo.
cairo» Young Egyptians are once again organizing on social media and taking to the streets of Cairo by the hundreds every Friday, not to protest injustice or clash with police, but to enjoy long runs through one of the world’s most crowded and chaotic cities.
On a recent Friday morning, about 300 young people gathered at a central square, a small fraction of the 2,500 that had signed up for the event on Facebook, but a reasonable showing at 7 a.m. on a weekend.
Organizers with bullhorns led the crowd of young men and women in a warm-up, and then they took off, flooding a four-lane road.
Cairo, a city of about 20 million people with few green spaces and no jogging paths, is an unlikely venue for distance running.
The streets are jammed at nearly all hours with microbuses, taxis, motorbikes and the occasional donkey cart. Yet despite the obstacles, young Egyptians have launched popular running clubs over the past two years. A half marathon this weekend drew thousands of runners. Egyptians trace the growth in local interest to Cairo Runners, a group with a large social media presence that attracts hundreds of people to its weekly runs and has inspired similar groups across the city.
The runs are usually held early Friday — the first day of the Egyptian weekend — when the streets are mostly empty. Strength in numbers protects the runners from cars and street harassment.
“In the beginning, people thought it was very strange, but they’ve gotten used to it,” said Ashraf Samir, a 47year-old accountant who has been running with Cairo Runners since last year.
“You get to breathe clean air, you get to run far away from any chaos or traffic, and you get to know nice people at the same time,” he said.