The Riyadh Marathon 2026 ended on Saturday after four days of running events and fun activities for runners and audience. This year’s marathon was the fifth time the race was held and it brought together top runners from around the world, and local participants.
The marathon took place from January 28 to 31 at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh. The event included running competition with fun activities, so people with different fitness levels could enjoy it.
Many world‑class runners participated in the marathon. Among the top women runners were Gotytom Gebreslase and Gulume Chala from Ethiopia, and Ruth Chepngetich and Nguriatukei Rael Kinyara from Kenya. On the men’s side, runners from Morocco and Bahrain were part of the elite group competing in the marathon. The marathon is an important event called the World Athletics Elite Road Race, and it has had this status for five years in a row. Runners from 125 countries joined this event, showing how big the race has become. People of all ages and fitness levels ran in the event, from serious athletes to beginners who ran shorter distances.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health, Fahad AlJalajel, took part in the marathon. He posted on his official social media account that he was happy to take part in the event. He said the race supports a national health campaign called “Live Healthy” that encourages people to move more and improve their health and quality of life.
Minister AlJalajel thanked Prince Khaled bin Al‑Waleed bin Talal for supporting the event and said that running daily should be part of everyone’s life. This idea matches Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to help people live healthier lives and make sports a normal part of daily routine.
The marathon was organized by the Saudi Sports for All Federation. It was supported by many groups including Vision 2030, the Ministry of Sport, the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the Saudi Athletics Federation, the National Events Center, and the Riyadh Municipality. This teamwork showed a strong push from different parts of the country to make the event a success.
There were different race routes in the marathon festival. The 5 km and 10 km races took place within the university campus. The half‑marathon (21 km) and full marathon (42 km) went on major roads in northern Riyadh, and all routes finished inside the university grounds.
Other than the races, the marathon event included many fun and cultural activities. There was live music, performances, shows, and cultural displays around the race area. People of all ages could enjoy the event and try different activities before and after the races.
The event ended on Saturday with four main race categories: the full marathon (42 km), half marathon (21 km), 10 km race, and the 5 km family race for beginners. This combination helped all kinds of runners to take part and enjoy the marathon experience.
Overall, the Riyadh Marathon keeps growing and is one of Saudi Arabia’s top community sports events. It brings together professional runners and local people who want to enjoy sport, fitness, and a healthy lifestyle.