The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) recently announced it would be organizing the Amman International Marathon in October 2009, within its centennial celebrations. The marathon will be supervised by a board of trustees chaired by H.R.H. Prince Firas Bin Ra’ad, and with H.R.H. Princess Dina Mired, the Mayor of Amman, Engineer Omar Maani, and H.E. Doctor Fawwaz Al Zoubi as members.
H.R.H. Prince Firas Bin Ra’ad spoke at a press conference held by GAM yesterday morning (Monday) to announce the marathon’s activities, pointing out that “the Amman International Marathon, with all its Ammani, Jordanian, social, and international dimensions, falls in line with our sports interests and the concerted efforts that have always fuelled on the consecutive successes of the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon. This sports phenomenon, celebrating as it does Amman’s centennial, embodies the very spirit of sports; it imparts a special flavor of community sports interaction in the streets of Amman, the City which meets the contestants greeting for greeting and bestows upon them its historical and cultural blessings.”
Mayor of Amman, Eng. Maani, kicked off the press conference, indicating the importance of this sports and social event, and affirming GAM’s willingness to receive all participants in this special celebration, with over 10,000 runners representing different countries from around the world.
He added, “The purpose of the Amman International Marathon is to add an international, sports, and social zest to our commemoration of the passing of 100 years since the founding of the Greater Amman Municipality, and to highlight the cultural gifts that Amman possesses as a first-rate modern cosmopolitan. Since last year, we have done our utmost to prepare for this international carnival, stemming from the triumphs and accomplishments that the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon has and will continue to achieve each year. This event also reinforces the Capital’s positive social and sports reception of various sports championships, whether regional or international, throughout the year.”
Eng. Maani explained that various national organizations and commissions, both from the public and private sector, hastened to support and sponsor this marathon, “especially as its main focus is on highlighting the architectural and economic development that the City has achieved during its 100 year march on progress, through the participation and contribution of the Capital’s citizens, particularly those living in the City Center.”
It is worth noting that the Amman International Marathon is the fruit of the mutual cooperation of the Greater Amman Municipality, the Society for Care of Neurological Patients (SCNP), and the Beirut Marathon Association which holds 3 similar activities annually in Lebanon. Participants in the marathon will follow different route in Amman, accentuating the City’s most important ruins and tourist locations, starting from Ras Al ‘Ein region, through Saqf Al Seil and the City Center, with the finish line in the square adjacent to the Roman Amphitheater in Raghadan region.