The urge to encourage fitness and sports is growing in Egypt, with initiatives mixing exercise with fun for people of all ages and fitness levels. The success of these initiatives has been noticed by charities and foundations.

Cairo Runners, an initiative to promote fitness in Egypt, describe their vision as building stepping stones for a running community in Egypt. Their marathon events take to the streets of Cairo early in the morning to avoid pollution and traffic. They aim to encourage people to lead healthier lifestyles and have fun at the same time.

In the beginning Cairo Runners had about 60 participants, but this has expanded to more than 3,000. They have 40,000 likes on Facebook and more than 5,000 followers on Twitter.

The running events started on 14 December and have continued for fifteen weeks. They start early on Friday mornings from a different district of Cairo each time.

The first event took place in Zamalek and covered 4 km. Each week 1 km was added to the distance until it reached the target of 21 km for a half marathon.  

On Friday 10 May, Cairo Runners will hold a half marathon, starting at Almaza garden, Marghany Street in Heliopolis. The main course is 21 km, and the shorter one is 7 km. The arrival time is 6 am and the marathon starts promptly at 6:30 am

The registration fee is LE30 and will go to Egypt's Liver Institute and Egypt's Special Olympics team.

For more details please visit: http://www.cairorunners.com/#%21half-marathon/ck9v

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