The Saudi Arabian Athletic Federation has announced that the inaugural Red Sea Marathon will take place at Jeddah’s ROSHN Waterfront on 18 January 2025. With 10,000 runners from around the world expected to participate, the event promises to be an exciting addition to the international marathon circuit.

While participants can pick from the four running categories – full marathon (42.2 km), half marathon (21.1 km), 10-km race, and 4-km race for beginners and children, top marathon runners will be invited to join the “elite field”. No doubt the big names will garner quite a bit of excitement around the event.

In partnership with Sports Hub, the Federation intends to host the full marathon on an annual basis, with a significant prize purse allocated for the winning professional runners.

January’s cool weather conditions make it an ideal time for the event, which is expected to boost Jeddah’s sporting reputation and have a positive economic impact on local businesses.