Are you looking to start 2022 with an adventurous race to qualify for the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships? The Egyptian Marathon and Marrakech International Marathon are two late-January qualifying races full of history and spectacular views.
Run through ancient history at the Egyptian Marathon
The Egyptian Marathon in Luxor City, Egypt on January 14, 2022 is one of the oldest ongoing marathons in Africa and the Middle East.
The race organizers encourage runners to come and “run with the pharaohs” along a course that boasts views of ancient ruins and temples. Luxor City is among the oldest inhabited cities in the world, and that is apparent from the race’s start to finish.
The course begins under the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which is considered a masterpiece of ancient architecture built in the 15th century BC. The flat desert course in past editions has looped through the Kolossi of Memnon - two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned in Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.
There is no shortage of historic sites along the course. Runners will weave through the Valley of Kings as well as the Valley of Queens - both of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites - where pharaohs and their wives were buried. Then get a feel for the traditional Egyptian village running through the West Bank of Luxor.
One of the highlights of the course is the city of Habu, an archeological area with numerous ancient structures and temples. One of which is the most well-known in the area is the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III.
With so many ancient structures along the route, the Egyptian Marathon promises to be an unforgettable experience running through ancient history.
A race where the only humps are on the camels!
The 32nd edition of the Marrakech International Marathon will run the streets of Marrakech, Morocco on January 30, 2022. The marathon has a reputation for being flat and fast with mild weather and occasional roadside camel sightings.
The course winds through alleys of palm trees and orange and olive groves with beautiful views of the snow-covered Atlas Mountains in the distance.
The route is a single lap that takes participants along the side of the city’s 12th-century ramparts and through the Menara gardens.
Also with iconic views of the Atlas Mountains, the historic Menara garden and orchard was established in the 12th century (circa 1157 CE) and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
What can you get for running these races?
The AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings comprise a one-year qualifying period during which athletes in nine separate age groups from 40 and over can compete in marathons across the world to earn ranking points.
At the end of the qualifying period, the top ranked runners in each age group will be invited to the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships. The first Championships was held within the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon on October 3. This race combined qualifiers from the first and second editions of the Rankings.
The third edition of the Rankings began on January 1, 2021 and is scheduled to conclude on December 31.
The 2022 season of the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings will feature a record-breaking 312 marathons spanning 89 countries and six continents.
Learn more here.
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