In Ras Mohamed, marathon runners not only experienced the adrenaline rush but were hypnotised by the scenery, reports Amira El-Naqeeb "I wish that all participants today forgot about the time and enjoyed the beautiful scenery we were running in," said Ottavio Andriani who clocked 1:12:36 for first place in the Ras Mohamed Half Marathon. Organised by Sharmarathon , the 21kms race took place this month in Sharm El-Sheikh on what was called a "highly challenging" natural track, with 200 contestants the world over. The result of each runner was timed in hours, minutes and seconds. The starting and finishing lines were at the monumental gate, symbol and trademark of Ras Mohamed National Park. The race track was marked with a sign every kilometre. Most of the participants were Italians and Egyptians of both sexes. Twenty-six Egyptians represented the various sports clubs in Egypt. "This is the second time we have this marathon here because it is a wonderful area," Laura, one of the organisers of the event told, Al-Ahram Weekly. She said the event was promoted in Italy in specialised magazines for running, and on Sky Sport TV. "We have a lot of runners. Running is a really popular sport in Italy," Laura said. Participants in the race should not have been less than 18, and with no health problems. The marathon had five first place positions for men and five for women. The winner for the women was 18-year-old Aya Mohamed. The remaining positions were secured mostly by Egyptians, with one Italian in second place. The top four positions for men were won by Egyptians. Ahmed Hussein, 26, who clocked 1:13:19 for second place, is on the Egyptian national team and Egypt's champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 metres. Hussein's last international championship was in April in Edinburgh, Scotland. "I was the only Egyptian, and I finished 42 in the race. However, the Ras Mohamed Marathon was the most enjoyable for me in terms of climate and terrain because it is a natural track and not a flat course," Hussein said. Winner Andriani, who ran in Sharm El-Sheikh two years ago and took third place, agreed. "I enjoyed it very much, especially today and I anticipate coming here again." It was Andriani 's first marathon after finishing in 23rd place in the Beijing marathon in the Olympics. Ras Mohamed, 850 square kilometres, is one of the most important natural protectorates in the world, and was declared a World Heritage Protected Area in 1983. It is a natural habitat for a variety of fish and rare sea animals. Mohamed Abdel-Gabar, the Egyptian counsellor at the Egyptian tourist office in Rome, said events like the marathon were "tools" to promote Egypt in Italy. "I believe that Egypt is a fertile destination for sports tourism. Hence these activities provide us with the exposure we need," Abdel-Gabar said. This is the third year for the Egyptian tourist office in Rome to sponsor these kinds of events.
