Come September, and Riyadh Road Runners Club (RRR) will start organizing runs of different distances to keep you fit!

The club was established in 1978 by a group of enthusiastic expatriates to encourage physical activities they used to have back at home. Members of RRR meet twice a month in locations in and around Riyadh to do their running.

“We organize runs of different distances,” Mukhtar Murtaza, a member of the organizing committee of RRR, said, adding: “We plan various events for the period September to March. The runs can vary from short distance of five km to marathons of 42.2 km.”

Stating that members of RRR vary in age, ranging from five years to 65 plus, he said: “The only problem with kids, though, is the early schedule of the runs which they may not like.”

When asked why anyone would get out of bed at 5 a.m. on a weekend to go for a run, Murtaza said: “The answer is simple; it’s motivation.”

The club has succeeded in having an active membership of 100 including five Saudis. “Our club is charitable, and we raise money for the Children’s Cancer Support Society (Sanad),” Murtaza said.

“There are several reasons to join the run — noble cause, maintaining fitness, expanding your social circle, having fun or even getting enough practice to prepare for international runs or marathons later. Our club is fairly small in terms of members since we are all in full time jobs. This is basically the reason for us not competing in a lot in international runs, even though some of us did go for marathons in London, South Africa, the US, K-town and came back with glowing medals,” he added.

Aloosh Al-Shammary, a dynamic Saudi RRR member who aspires to be a professional runner, joined the club in 2010. He believes that running can be boring if there’s a lack of internal drive. “Running as an activity can be tedious. Running with a group can be energy-contagious regardless of the provocation to win or compete. It feels great to be surrounded by similar-minded people who keep encouraging you not to give up. Moreover, since I joined RRR, my social circle has grown tremendously,” he said.

“Saudi society seems to be interested only in well-known sports, which makes running as a sport neglected locally,” Al-Shammary commented on the small number of Saudi runners as a whole, and the very few Saudi members registered with RRR.

“Running takes a lot of practice, sweat and commitment, which unfortunately is against the modern Saudi lifestyle that relies on luxury and little physical activity. It’s no coincidence that the rate of obesity has increased in Saudi Arabia as people hate to move. Not to mention that Saudi females lack proper fitness centers,” he observed.

“My advice to everyone is to start running. Running will increase your meditation power, which boosts both mental and spiritual power even further,” he advised.