On May 22, 2024, the World Athletics Federation held an online seminar on "The Current Situation: A Global Industry Perspective", with guests from 13 countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, from Hugh Brasher, the legend of the London Marathon, to the leaders of event registration platforms on all continents, to the core representatives of events, media and associations in various countries, to draw a true blueprint for global road running.
This article is based on a discussion between Alessio Punzi, World Athletics Head of Running and Mass Engagement, and representatives of the racing industry operating in the Middle East, including:
- SportsHub KSA首席执行官Simon Mueller
- 沙特赛事总监Abdullah Joud
- 科威特Suffix Events执行董事Wissam Terro
- 阿曼帆船赛事与业务发展总监Joseph Rafferty
- 意大利RCS Sports and Events DMCC大众参与体育赛事项目负责人Luca Onofrio
- 黎巴嫩贝鲁特马拉松协会赛事与培训项目总监Erhabi Nael
The delegates shared a lot of in-depth insights into the development of public participation in the event, and suggested that the event organizers should study it carefully.
Guest introduction
Alessio Punzi
I would like to start by inviting a guest with a long professional experience in Saudi Arabia to share. Can you tell us about the current state of mass participation in Saudi Arabia, especially the running industry, and how it has changed significantly from a decade ago?
Simon Mueller
(Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Sports Center)
Indeed, back in 2012, when I was still in Germany, I received an invitation to organize a running event in Saudi Arabia.
At the time, I knew almost nothing about running in the Middle East, except that most running events were confined to a few closed communities. Abdullah has begun experimenting with holding events in public venues, but this is not common.
It wasn't until 2016 that I officially set foot in Saudi Arabia for the work of the Ministry of Sports and the Olympic Committee, and I remember that there were only a handful of public running events at that time.
Today, the situation has changed dramatically, with roughly 30 to 40 running events already in Saudi Arabia, and although a unified national event calendar has not yet been developed, the associations are actively preparing for it.
Many events are still held in private groups, gated communities, and even in deserts.
However, the Riyadh Marathon has undoubtedly set an important milestone for running in Saudi Arabia, and since it was first held as a half marathon in 2000, it has given a significant boost to the growth of running in Saudi Arabia as a whole, especially after it grew to attract around 20,000 participants.
Still, we are in the early stages of development. It's hard for me to give an exact number on how many runners there are in Saudi Arabia because we don't have official statistics on this.
But this is evident from the increasing number of running events, the government's active promotion of running events, and the establishment of more and more running teams. I was the founder of a social running group in Riyadh, and we were almost the only public social running group in a time when women were not allowed to run openly, and we were limited to the diplomatic area.
Today, social running groups have sprung up everywhere, including large groups with more than 1,000 members, and the changes are obvious to all. Especially since 2018, when women were fully allowed to participate in a variety of sports activities, the sight of street running has become more common, which signals that more change is on the way.
Alessio Punzi
Once an event becomes a visible phenomenon on the streets, it inevitably inspires more action and engagement, which is undoubtedly the best reason to motivate all of us to actively present and plan events in the heart of the city.
Abdullah, how many years have you been running events? Can you give us a brief introduction?
Abdullah Joud
(Saudi Tournament Director)
Of course, let me talk about Al Khobar's annual 5km charity run. With a history of 29 years, the event is the oldest running event in the Middle East, originally held for charity purposes and now has 10,000 participants.
We are ambitious to make it to the top three in the world. Mr. Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the tournament and CEO of Rawabi Holdings, a company focused on oil production and an international company, wants to lead the tournament towards the world's top three goals.
Last year, we set a new record of 13:04 in the 5km race, while two athletes from South Africa and Morocco broke the records of their respective countries.
The Al Khobar event is unique in that it is not directly affiliated with the Saudi government, but is run by the private sector. It is expected to become the leading event in the Middle East and set a benchmark for the future.
Over the next three years, you will witness its growth. This year, we plan to expand the half marathon program to 40 to 50 elite athletes in class A and B. We are working hard towards breaking the world record for a half marathon or 5km.
The route is designed to be extremely fast, as long as the weather is windless, the environment is pleasant, and the starting and ending points are one, so that the audience can enjoy the whole process.
We've taken a lesson from last year's experience and made some adjustments to make this year's event look different, especially in terms of organization and detail.
Alessio Punzi
Joseph, I'd love to hear your story and how you came to develop your career in Oman? In addition, what is the unique business model of the Sultanate of Oman in the participatory sports industry? Why is it so different from other places?
Joseph Rafferty
(Director of Sailing & Business Development, Oman)
It's been almost 6 years since I came to Oman. Prior to that, I worked at IRONMAN and IMG, so I gained a wealth of experience in mass engagement events in the Middle East and Asia.
When I first arrived in Oman in 2018, the marathon, Supercross, mountain biking and road cycling in conjunction with UTMB constituted a relatively limited number of national mass participation events.
It can be said that Oman, as well as many members of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries, are in the thriving stage of mass participation in the event.
In recent years, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of participants in swimming, cycling, and especially running, especially in the last three years.
There has been a surge of community-based events, and there has been a significant increase in major events such as the Muscat Marathon. It was a fascinating experience because I witnessed the rapid growth of Oman's participation in popular sports, which was largely driven by Omani nationals.
Simon mentioned the changes in Riyadh, and while the changes in Oman may not be as drastic as in Saudi Arabia, it is certain that due to the inclusive nature of mass participation activities, it is becoming more common for people to spontaneously form running groups in corporate settings and in their circle of friends.
Compared to Western countries, Oman does not have a large and tight-knit network of running clubs, but instead we have witnessed the natural and organic growth of these community groups. Especially in Muscat, if you go for a walk by the sea or in the park at night, you will see many mixed running teams of men, women and children.
So, it's an energetic and exciting time for mass participation in sports, especially running.
Alessio Punzi
Joseph, I would like to know a little bit more about the breakdown of the participants in the Muscat Marathon, if you break it down by local residents (both Omanis and expatriates living in Oman) and those who travel from overseas, can you provide a rough proportional distribution?
Joseph Rafferty
(Director of Sailing & Business Development, Oman)
For the 11th edition of the tournament in January, we had nearly 13,000 entrants, of which about 9,300 were Omani nationals, which is a significant number.
It is also interesting to note that we are witnessing a trend towards a balanced gender ratio in participation. In 2019, 82% of participants were men and only 18% were women; In January of this year, the ratio was adjusted to 65 per cent for men and 35 per cent for women. There has been a huge boost in the number of female runners.
When we observed a significant increase in the participation of Omani nationals, especially women, in specific races, we found that the main focus was on the 5km and 10km events.
Therefore, in terms of the growth strategy for marathon events in the next few years, we plan to maintain an overall growth rate of about 3,500 participants, although the number of participants in the half marathon has also increased, but not as strongly as the 5km and 10km races.
For now, our focus will shift to how to get more Omanis to take the next step in their running journey, i.e. encourage them to progress from 5km to 10km, or from 10km to half marathon. In the long run, we aim to increase the proportion of Omani nationals in the national database who participate in the Malaysian races.
Alessio Punzi
Joseph, I completely agree with you. We often receive inquiries from some national athletics federations or groups of running enthusiasts who ask if we can help organize a marathon.
My instinct was always: why do we have to run a marathon? Why not start with a 5km or 10km race first?
Because in some parts of the world, hosting a marathon may not be the most ideal option in terms of commercial viability and barriers to participation. So, I very much agree with the strategy that you have adopted in Oman.
Joseph Rafferty
(Director of Sailing & Business Development, Oman)
Indeed, one of the ideas that you made when we were communicating last year, and which is now becoming a hot topic of discussion, is the rise of the 15km project.
Adding such a middle distance between the traditional 10km and the more challenging half marathon is a distance that I think will see a significant increase in the success of the Muscat Running Festival.
At the same time, we have launched 12 10km races across Oman, with the aim of engaging people outside Muscat and encouraging them to actively participate in running. This will be a positive and healthy boost for the country as a whole and for Oman's running industry.
Alessio Punzi
Wissam, you organise a full marathon in the major capital cities of the Middle East, could you give us a brief overview of the event?
Wissam Terro
（科威特Suffix Events执行董事）
I have participated in several major events in the region, such as the Kuwait Gulf Bank Marathon and the Riyadh Marathon, as well as the half marathon and other events. Needless to say, the region is growing rapidly, which has contributed significantly to the growth of running events.
I couldn't agree more with Joseph, especially when it comes to promoting sprint running, as it's a completely new sport for most athletes who are new to running.
Therefore, strategically, we focus on promoting shorter distance races. Although we have seen a steady increase in the long distance race year after year, our core goal is to inspire those who are staying at home to get active. Once they are attracted to the joy and passion of physical activity, they will naturally seek a greater challenge and try longer runs.
At the same time, we put a lot of emphasis on the overall experience of the event, ensuring that the event is not just a competition, but a fun outdoor experience, where participants can enjoy every moment of the event in a non-competitive atmosphere.
Of course, there are professional athletes and serious runners involved, but our strategy is to first promote healthy lifestyles and lay the foundation for the community, and then deepen the competitive dimension.
Currently, about 72% of the participants are local residents, and female participation is on the rise, actually reaching 46%, which is an exciting development.
Alessio Punzi
The Chicago Marathon is the industry benchmark for balanced gender and racial participation, and it consistently comes out on top every time the data is reviewed. Thank you, Wissam.
Luca, your background is different, if not very different, coming from a large multinational marketing company and you decided to dive into the global event business opportunity. Can you tell us a little bit about how the story behind this transformation unfolds?
Luca Onofrio
（意大利RCS Sports and Events DMCC 大众参与体育赛事项目负责人）
It's great to see some familiar faces in today's discussion. I'm the organiser of the RCS, and we're mainly responsible for the big races in Italy, such as the famous Milan Marathon.
As you mentioned, many years ago we seized the opportunity to expand our business globally, and we set up a local office. Luckily, we worked with the Dubai Sports Council first, then with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Iraqi TDA.
Back to business, we hosted the Abu Dhabi Marathon on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and it was a great honour to witness the growth of the event from day one.
Looking back at the inaugural event in 2018, we welcomed 10,000 participants. Last year, there were more than 25,000 participants in each event, which is a very significant number for us and confirms the sentiments of other guests.
As advocated by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the core idea of the event is to give people a reason to go out and run, ultimately to promote a healthy lifestyle, and the event is simple and beautiful.
I have lived in Abu Dhabi for eight years over the past 10 years and have seen first-hand the tremendous impetus for sport on a scale I have never seen in Europe. Everyone is encouraged to participate in sports, get outside and get some physical activity.
For the city of Abu Dhabi, the marathon has become one of the key events driving this trend. Interestingly, we had a full marathon from the start, which was challenging to organize, requiring the coordination of various departments, including the authorities, the police, the traffic, and so on, to get them to work together.
If you look closely at the development of the event, the route design has changed dramatically and is now almost the entire city. From the starting point, past the Great Mosque at the other end of the city, and back to the waterfront, the level of commitment and support from the entire city and all those involved is incredible, which is rare even in Europe. This makes us proud to be able to organise these events with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
The transformation of the event, from a sporting perspective, is also an idea that we are constantly striving to bring the whole community together, every time. Running over five days, starting in the Event Village and continuing with Saturday's events, the event is a celebration of community that brings people from all over the world together.
Rather, it's a one-year journey where we train together and progress together.
Today, we have established running clubs and training events across the UAE with the aim of bringing people together to run.
The main purpose of the event is, in a nutshell, to unite runners of different nationalities. I've listed the five nationalities with the highest percentage of nationalities in our tournament: India, the Philippines, the UAE (15% of which are from the UK), and Pakistan, which basically cover the major ethnic groups of the UAE and Abu Dhabi.
As for the gender ratio, we are currently 65% male and 35% female participants. I want to emphasize that we are very proud of that. And, from 2018, when there were only 800 runners, last year the marathon alone attracted 2,400 runners.
One of the key objectives for the Abu Dhabi Sports Council is to attract more domestic and international visitors and tourists to experience the city, explore the emirate, enjoy sightseeing and enjoy the winter chill in the best December weather.
Alessio Punzi
Winters in Europe seem to be getting milder. Luca, thank you for sharing, and I understand that what you mean is that not only is the level of public sector involvement in the marathon high, but they also have a clear understanding of the policy objectives to be achieved through the marathon, such as promoting sports tourism, encouraging sports activity, and further strengthening Abu Dhabi's position in the global sports community.
Erhabi, when we were preparing yesterday, you mentioned that the situation in the other capital city of the region is very different, and the level of government involvement is limited at best. Can you tell us more about what happened there?
Erhabi Nael
(Director of Events and Training Programs, Beirut Marathon Association, Lebanon)
In Beirut, Lebanon, the situation is very different.
The public sector is faced with more pressing economic and livelihood issues, and as a result, limited attention is paid to physical activity. The maximum support we can get is limited to road closures on the day of the event, but even that has been difficult lately. Because the available police force is decreasing at each event, there are fewer and fewer police resources available for events.
The government is actually pushing us to run races that require less road closures, for example, a 10km race that takes about 2 hours to close roads, compared to the full marathon, which takes about 8 to 9 hours (from preparation to the last runner to reach the finish line).
We've even tried to change the format of the race and design it as a point-to-point race, so that the roads can gradually open up and reduce the pressure on urban traffic.
Therefore, we plan to increase the number of 10km races instead of running more half marathons. That's because we get far more support for a 10km race on closed city roads than we can get for a full marathon.
Over the years, we've had to change our routes and adjust our race schedule several times, in part because some of the city's regional governments don't want us to go down. The government is concerned about public reaction and is reluctant to allow streets near residential homes to be closed for the event.
This is a very different situation than what we have seen in the UAE and in Europe, but in Beirut we have to embrace and respond to such challenges.
Alessio Punzi
Next, I would like to ask all panelists a question that you will try to answer in 45 seconds: Where do you think the sports industry and events in your country or region will go in the next five years? What further developments do you foresee?
Simon Mueller
(Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Sports Center)
For now, we're still in the early stages. I foresee more non-traditional running activities popping up to attract more people to participate, which is what is needed right now.
We are planning additional running events, with a particular focus on achieving a 50% male to 50% female participation ratio, and have managed to attract many first-time participants.
At the same time, I think a true marathon will further inspire more cities to host their own marathons. I won't comment on whether this trend is completely positive and healthy, but what is certain is that the momentum is coming.
Alessio Punzi
What exactly do you mean by "non-traditional running activities"?
Simon Mueller
(Chief Executive Officer, Saudi Sports Center)
Examples such as unsanctioned night runs, obstacle courses, and running events with musical elements are all emerging trends.
One challenge we are facing is that, given the current legal system in Saudi Arabia, it may be difficult for community sports teams and non-profit organizations to organize running events independently for the next five years.
To be sure, the government is gradually shifting its functions to the private sector, but this transition will take time and will not happen overnight.
Alessio Punzi
Abdullah, what is your outlook for the next five years? What are your hopes for the development of the Al Khobar Charity Run?
Abdullah Joud
(Saudi Tournament Director)
Thinking back to the last time I met you and Mr. Epp, I was struck by the excitement that the Al Khobar event would be on the world agenda or be certified by the World Athletics Federation. We aspire to see Al Khobar jump into the top three, just as the Valencia Marathon achieved many years ago.
In fact, we are moving forward with a gradual and steady progression. Next year, we expect to witness more changes, and perhaps this year in Dubai, through the efforts of our "Running Events Company", we are about to have a big event for the half marathon.
Looking to the future, we look forward to hosting a full marathon. I am convinced that the people's expectations and enthusiasm for the event are increasing year by year, and they are eager to see the event become more exciting year after year.
Alessio Punzi
Thank you so much. Based on what I know online, there are signs that Oman is significantly increasing its investment in high-level sports in an effort to excel at the Paris Olympics and to bid for the Games in the not-too-distant future.
Joseph, what's next for you in Oman? What are your insights into the future of this area?
Joseph Rafferty
(Director of Sailing & Business Development, Oman)
What I have observed in Oman, and a very important part of my current work, is to promote the growth of the private sector in all areas of sport and at the government level, as well as to give the private sector greater autonomy and drive.
For a long time, Oman's sports industry has been highly dependent on the government, from strategy formulation to implementation, whether it is the source of funding, creative inspiration or development goals.
In recent years, marathons have undergone a shift to privatization over the past two years, and this transition is expected to be fully completed next year. Based on this, I foresee significant growth in the private sector over the next five years.
In Oman, especially those led by small and medium-sized enterprises, will be looking to set up activities outside of Muscat, where the population is growing rapidly in the fast-growing cities and the port network around them.
I expect that participatory sports, especially those with running at their core, will flourish in places like Sur and Salalah.
So, the expansion of the private sector, the growth of regional events, and a vision that I'm very much looking forward to – to see Oman's elite running program take shape and grow.
We have a large number of active and competitive athletes, and the mountainous areas of the country can reach elevations of up to 3,000 meters, providing athletes with a highland training environment similar to that of East Africa.
I sincerely hope that Oman can build an elite running system so that the national team can compete on the international stage and show its strength.
Alessio Punzi
The terrain is great for trail running, and I may be a little biased, but it's certainly another potential development in the area. Luca, and Wissam, how do you see the next steps for mass running in big cities?
Luca Onofrio
（意大利RCS Sports and Events DMCC 大众参与体育赛事项目负责人）
Predicting what will happen in the UAE in the next five years is a complex task, as it changes here almost every day, so it is quite difficult to give an exact forecast from my standpoint.
However, especially when it comes to mass engagement and running, I tend to think that the Abu Dhabi Marathon will increasingly become like those iconic annual events, and people are used to marking it on their calendars every year, just as they do with F1 or other major events that have been in the region for more than 20 years.
At the community level, we are working with schools to promote running as a major destination and an important moment of the year.
At the international level, we always dream big, so why not expect the Abu Dhabi Marathon to become one of the top marathons in the world, attracting runners from all over the world?
The international races in December are not dense, the timing is perfect, and we really want to promote the marathon as an event where people want to travel and spend a few days, a place where family and friends can come and enjoy a running holiday together.
Alessio Punzi
The city's brand power is indeed enough to support this vision. Wissam, what's next for Kuwait?
Wissam Terro
（科威特Suffix Events执行董事）
We expect to witness significant growth in the coming years, as more than 52% of the population is under the age of 25. This is a young and dynamic society, so we need to invest more in grassroots projects to highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle through a variety of activities.
As I mentioned earlier, we're trying to make sports fun, to change people's perception of sports, to make it enjoyable. This group of young people will grow up one day and will be more inclined towards a healthy lifestyle.
This is not only a phenomenon unique to Kuwait, but the whole region is characterized by a youthful population, which means a lot of potential, but also requires a lot of hard work.
We need to build more cooperation with governments to advance this goal. In Kuwait, despite limited government support, we are trying to harmonize with it, and I believe we are on the right track, because we have no choice.
Alessio Punzi
Youthfulness is indeed a common feature of many countries in the Middle East. Erhabi, in Lebanon, how do you expect to change in the field of long-distance running?
Erhabi Nael
(Director of Events and Training Programs, Beirut Marathon Association, Lebanon)
Over the past decade, we have been working hard to increase the number of runners in the region by creating a training program in Lebanon.
To further expand our reach, we've even started groundwork in remote rural areas with the aim of spreading the running culture. We promote running events for a variety of distances, from 1 mile to full marathon (42 km).
We are working to bring the number of participants back to the level we had in 2018, when one of our marathons attracted 50,000 participants.
Hopefully, in the next five years, we will be able to meet or even exceed that number again, and at the same time, make the beautiful city of Beirut the ideal destination for the marathon."
Alessio Punzi
Thank you very much for participating today, not just because of this interview, but also because of the outstanding leadership that you have shown in your respective countries, which is truly amazing.
If it had been ten years ago, we might not have had the opportunity to have such a conversation. Therefore, on behalf of the World Athletics Federation, I would like to thank all of you for your outstanding contributions to the development of sports in the Gulf region.
The interview time period is 48:36-01:21:53
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