Runners at the Pyramids Half Marathon route. Photo by Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon.
Based on 100 Runs of a Lifetime by Bart Yasso, the article describes the route as “unforgettable”—a course that winds through the golden dunes beneath the Great Pyramids of Giza, just 19 kilometres outside Cairo.
First mapped for the inaugural Pyramids Half Marathon in 2019, the trail has become a beacon for runners seeking a challenge and a brush with history. The route allows participants to #RaceThroughHistory in the shadow of the last surviving wonder of the ancient world.
The Pyramids Half Marathon—officially known as the Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon—is organised annually by The Trifactory, Egypt’s leading mass-participation sports events company. Co-founded by Ayman Hakky and Seifeldin Fawzy in 2015, the event is held under the auspices of Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
It has since grown into Egypt’s premier running event, drawing thousands of athletes and amateur runners from over 80 countries to the storied Giza Plateau.
While the area may seem limited in scope, National Geographic notes that the terrain’s shifting sands offer a surprisingly rewarding experience. Runners are advised to keep the pyramids within sight, as the unmarked expanse of desert can quickly obscure one’s sense of direction.
The Pyramids route is joined on the list of exceptional global runs by the Forêt de la Providence on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, the Pouākai Circuit in New Zealand’s Egmont National Park, Haleakalā National Park in Maui, Hawaii, and Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, South Africa.
The seventh edition of the Pyramids Half Marathon is scheduled for 13 December, and registration is now open on the event’s official website.
The recognition comes during a banner period for Egyptian tourism: in 2024, the country welcomed a record 15.7 million visitors, surpassing the previous year’s all-time high of 14.9 million.
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