Rabat – The first edition of the Noor Fes Half Marathon will take place in the Moroccan city of Fez on November 20, with the aim of celebrating World Olive Day, as well as promoting the city both nationally and internationally.

The “Olive in the Heart FEStival” is organizing the event alongside the olive oil company “Noor Fes” and the “Kan Ya Makan…Rdda” center, seeking to “unite the city of Fez around transcendence, meeting the other, as well as sharing and living together,” indicated the organizers in a statement.

Their statement continued on to explain that having the “olive at the heart means deciding to awaken our senses to promote Fez and its traditions through this Mediterranean plant heritage.” 

The organizers stressed the importance of encouraging Moroccan youth to connect with the country’s nature and traditions. 

The event will also include a 10-kilometer race, as well as a kids course for children aged 6 to 14 on November 19, a day before the main event, noted the statement.

The half marathon will see the participation of “high-level” runners, as well as amateurs, from across the world, including Ethiopia, Kenya, the United States, Spain, and France. The organizers aim to “perpetuate and develop” the race, making it an “unmissable” event in Fez.

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The starting and finishing point of the race will be at the Jnan Sbil Garden and the route will feature Fez’s historical landmarks, “so that Fassi heritage and the runners remain engraved together in the memories of this meeting,” added the organizers.

In order to ensure that the marathon aligns with regulations, Moroccan long-distance runner Abderrahim Bouramdane will take part in the event as a technical director. 

Bouramdane’s “professionalism and international reputation make him an exceptional technical director for organizing this sporting event in Fez,” said the organizers.

In addition to the races, the event will include a wide range of activities celebrating World Olive Day, including a “Meslala Party” with musical performances, and a large artistic parade.