Egyptian children take part in Cairo mini marathon

Hundreds of young runners took to the streets of Cairo, Egypt’s capital to participate in the Great Cairo Kidathon.

The mini marathon was organised by Muricata, an adventure company founded by Egyptian adventurer and mountaineer Omar Samra.

The event was held to motivate children to adopt a healthier lifestyle and contribute to society.

“This event is in partnership with the Marwa Fayed toy run foundation which collects old toys and redistributes them to underprivileged children at orphanages or hospitals. For this event, we have co-ordinated with Abu al-Reesh children’s hospital, and all the toys we’ve collected will be sent to the hospital within the next two weeks,” said Samra.

The marathon saw children between the ages of 6 to 14 participate. The event was free of charge with the exception that each child was required to donate a toy to register.

“I think the goal of the event – to gather toys for children at Abu al-Reesh hospital – is amazing, and the children understand why they’re doing this. But at the same time, the way it has been organized is wonderful; for there to be exercise with parents, and then time dedicated to the arts and finally a music concert by Cairokee is all great,” said a mother of one of the runners.

At the end of the race, the around 500 participants walked away with certificates and medals.

Reuters