Fez — On April 26, Morocco is set to host the first edition of “Run4Rabies Morocco” in Bouskoura Forest, an event positioned as more than a race, but a public awareness initiative supporting the goal of eliminating rabies deaths.
The event is organized by “Moroccan Marathon Runners, in partnership with the “Global Alliance for Rabies Control.”
The initiative is being led by Sara Benhabbari, founder of Moroccan Marathon Runners, whom organizers present as a rabies ambassador working with the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC).
The program includes three formats designed to widen participation: a 5-kilometer canicross for runners with dogs, as well as separate 5-kilometer, and 10-kilometer races for participants without dogs.
Registration is paid and proceeds will help support logistics, organization, and vaccination efforts linked to the project. Organizers have already announced plans for 500 vaccinations as part of the campaign.
A race tied to a public health goal
The event is built around a message that blends animal welfare and public health.
The slogan, “Run to raise awareness. Run to save lives,” reflects a campaign model that treats sport as a tool for mobilization rather than an end in itself.
In a press statement, organizers highlighted that the race is meant to raise awareness about canine rabies while encouraging concrete action through vaccination.
That broader mission aligns with the international “Zero by 30” strategy, backed by leading health and animal organizations, which aims to end human deaths from dog-mediated rabies through vaccination, awareness, and coordinated local action.
The Global Alliance for Rabies Control has long positioned dog vaccination as one of the most effective ways to reduce transmission risk and protect communities.
If the event succeeds, its importance may go beyond one morning in Bouskoura. It could offer a template for how Morocco addresses neglected health risks: by turning awareness into movement, and movement into action that reaches both people and animals.
