She had always dreamt of running round the Pyramids and finally her dream came true, when she took part in the charity marathon at the Giza Pyramids, organised on Saturday by The Egyptian Gazette, marking its 130th birthday. This 55-year-old American tourist is in Egypt for three weeks on business and her visit just happened to coincide with the marathon, held on Egyptian Labour Day, which is a national holiday. "I'd always dreamt to run round the Pyramids and was delighted when I read that The Gazette was organising this marathon," Terry, who won the 4km race for ladies, told The Gazette with a smiling red face after crossing the finishing line. "I've visited the Pyramids several times, but this visit is the only I'll always remember." As part of its year-long 130th birthday celebrations, The Egyptian Gazette, the Middle East's oldest English-language daily newspaper, held this marathon behind the Mycerinus Pyramid in Giza. The marathon featured 2km, 4km and 6km races and the winners were awarded prizes at a closing ceremony. Some of the proceeds of the event were donated to the Children's Cancer Hospital (57357). What made this event that started at 9am special wasn't just that people from all over the world and of all different ages participated, but also that the Egyptian sense of humour shone through. "I'm here for solidarity and supporting children and cancer patients, as well as celebrating with you the 130th anniversary," Huseyin Avni Botsal, the Turkish Ambassador to Egypt, told this newspaper after giving the go-ahead to the event. "It's a paradise for us as we are among our friends and colleagues. You are over a century old now and it's my pleasure taking part in such an event." For this VIP, who has been in Egypt for five months now, such events are of great value because they open the floor for readers and members of the community to interact with the newspaper's staff and make their own input. "I left everything and came because it's Egypt celebrating here, because The Gazette is part of its rich history," he added. Running by the Pyramids is a unique experience in itself, but for many participants the whole race was exceptional. "It's my first-ever visit to the Pyramids and I now realise what I've been missing," said Aya Adel, a 21-year-old Egyptian athlete. "I heard about the marathon and the idea of running in this mind-blowing place brought me here immediately." Like Aya, many of the marathoners - especially children - were awestruck by the scenery and the beauty of the Pyramids glowing in Egypt's warm sun. "I'm very happy because it's the first time I've seen the Pyramids. They are very big; I feel like an ant beside them," said nine-year-old Mirna Hani. "I've come here to run but I've found much more than that." Mirna, a pupil at the Egyptian British International School, along with many of her friends, had fun and learnt about and saw more of her country. They had other reasons too. "I came to help the child patients at 57357," said an innocent-looking 10-year-old boy called Mohamed Hatem, sweating profusely. "I want to do something good." There were around 1,500 participants in the marathon, many of them from Egyptian sports clubs, youth centres, companies and institutions. Partaking in the marathon was for free. In the hustle and bustle of the city's streets, it's very hard for the majority of Egyptians to find a place to walk, forget running. Taher Fawzi, who won the over-30s race, spotted the ad a fortnight ago and got into strict training for the event. "Ten years ago, I took athletics seriously, but then I stopped training. This marathon has been a good opportunity for me to get back in shape," he explained, proudly holding his gold medal. Fifty-nine-year Abu Talas Abdo Abu Talas was exhausted after finishing his race, but he really enjoyed it and also met lots of interesting people. "I know I'm old but feel very young inside today," he said, with a big grin that exposed his yellowing teeth. "Seeing all these young people running madly takes me back to the good old days that both The Gazette and I witnessed together."
