Saudi Gazette
BY: ASMAA ALSAYED JEDDAH -- More than 20 people took part in a 42.49 km-marathon at the Waterfront here, with the event beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 12 a.m. "One of the best marathons for the atmosphere and support. It was tough because of the humidity but Asmaa Alsayed, Mohammed AlSanea, Abdulaziz Ismael, and Ahmed Nasser, made it easy and fun," said Nick Butter as he finished his 168th marathon around the world. Nick Butter, an ultra runner, endurance athlete, adventurer and charity fundraiser, who started in 2018 and will be running a marathon in every country in the world. There are currently 196 official countries. He started in London, UK, and made his way around the globe, documenting everything from race prep, the people he meets, and the incredible culture he experiences. He will set a world record for the fastest time to run a marathon sovereign states on earth. He will also link up with other runners all over the world to form a global community. His goal is to raise £250,000 (pounds) and loads of awareness for prostate cancer and inspire young people to live their dream and make a difference. He believes that we all have a chance to leave the world better than we found it, and this is his way of making a mark. The even was supported by Asmaa Alsayed, an English trainer in Jeddah and a member of Jeddah Running Community, Abdulaziz and Ahmed Nasser and Mohammed AlSanea, the founder of Jeddah Runners, who provided financial and logistical support. — SG
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Jeddah Runners is a non-profit running club for all abilities in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. We practice for a healthier lifestyle, and we believe that running connects us all to exercise, socialise and share the same spirit. Jeddah Runners is an egalitarian sports club that is literally for everyone: young and old, male and female, runners and walkers, professionals and hobbyists. There is never a boundary or limit for promoting your own health.
The running club founder, Mohammed AlSanea, is actually a swimmer who runs a lot. He is a medical student at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. Sports has been an essential part of Mohammed’s life since childhood and thus he considers it an important element for the integrity of one’s overall wellbeing. His love for sports began when he started practicing swimming at 10 years old. Mohammed then joined the Seahawks Swim Team and showed his vital participation in regional and international swim meets and competitions. Mohammed Alsanea is now a professional swimmer and a member of King Abdulaziz’s University National Swim Team. He occasionally does some other kinds of sports, but his focus is primarily on swimming and running. Jeddah Runners Club has 12 organisers with different roles who represent the committee of the club. The committee members meet up with the public and exercise all together once, twice or thrice every week. The group usually tends to do a 5 to 8 kilometers run which takes about 45 minutes to one hour; however, Some of the runners take the extended route to finish a 10 to 12 kilometers run. Sometimes, the group gathers to share drinks and snacks after the run. The club also arranges a variety of other sports events and outdoor activities. Health is a holistic approach to life. Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this ancient approach considers the whole person and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. Holistic health emphasises the connection of the mind, body, and soul. The lifestyle of the Saudi community is a big health challenge. Studies have approved that there is a high percentage of association between major health problems and the sedentary way of living in the Saudi community. It is also quite important to mention that it is a preventable major cause of death. According to the World Health Organization, Saudi Arabia ranks 14 on the Prevalence of Obesity 2016 list with a percentage of 35.4.3% of Saudi citizens being overweight (BMI>25). Two important aims of Jeddah Runners Club is to take action in solving such a major health conflict by making individuals of the community engaged in physical activity and to clarify the correlation between sports and academics by making a research study based on data from the club members and the Saudi community. To read more about the research, please click here. We believe that we have a responsibility to everyone in our community. We need to encourage them to adopt lifestyles that will promote their health and help them avoid health problems in the future. This aspect of our club – promoting health – is considered central to health care. Health promotion isn’t about lecturing or hectoring, or about pushing people into making huge changes in their lives. It’s about working with the individuals in partnership towards making agreed changes, and taking things one small step at a time. The club has made more than 1400 people run or walk on regular basis since it officially started in 2017. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” |
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