ShareKUWAIT: In celebration of the widespread success of this year's Gulf Bank 642 Marathon, Gulf Bank organized an awards ceremony honoring the top three winners from each race category. The ceremony took place at Al Shaheed Park in the presence of Gulf Bank CEO, Tony Daher, and the Director General of the Public Authority for Sport, Dr Humoud Flaiteh Al-Shimmari, along with representatives of the Ministry of Interior and marathon sponsors.
Attendees of the ceremony were treated to short video highlights from the race, followed by a speech by Ahmed Al Majed, CEO of Pro-Vision Sport Management, and an entertaining show put on by children's dance and gymnastics club, Gymnazia.
In recognition of their hard-earned achievements, the top three winners were then awarded across each race category: the 5K Family Fun Walk/Run, the 10K Souq Run, the 21K Half Marathon, and the 42K Full Marathon. Tony Daher, Gulf Bank CEO, then concluded the ceremony, thanking all sponsors and partners of the marathon for partnering in this year's success.
For the fifth year in a row, Gulf Bank held the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon in partnership with Pro-Vision Sports Management. This year's marathon witnessed over 2,200 international participants, including athletes and professional runners who came from all over the world to participate in Kuwait's only AbbottWMM-accredited marathon. The AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings is a global age group marathon ranking system. Runners who participated in the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon 2019 will get a chance to qualify for the age group ranking program, earning points according to their age, time and gender, aligned with the following age groups for men and women: 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+.
Commenting on this year's Gulf Bank 642 Marathon, Ahmad Al Amir, Assistant General Manager for External Communications at Gulf Bank, said: "This year's Gulf Bank 642 Marathon was an unprecedented success, with over 9,300 people from more than 100 different nationalities participating, including over 2,200 international participants. It gives us great pride that year after year, Gulf Bank has been at the forefront of one of the biggest community events Kuwait has seen, and one which has truly put our country on the map for international sporting events. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the marathon's success, and would like to extend a special thanks to the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Kuwait Municipality, Public Authority for Sport, and all our volunteers. We thank everyone for their continued cooperation, and we look forward to sharing in even more successes together next year."
The Gulf Bank 642 Marathon kicked off at 7:30 AM on Saturday morning at Souq Sharq, and took runners through beautiful landmarks across Kuwait. Participants made their way along Gulf Road, jogging past the Grand Mosque and Souq Al Mubarakiya, where local vendors cheered on participants and added to the incredible atmosphere of the day. Depending on the distance category, runners continued on their respective running paths, jogging past a variety of Kuwait's beautiful landmarks, from the Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Center to the Kuwait Towers, before crossing the finish line.
Gulf Bank is committed to maintaining a robust corporate social responsibility program. Every year, Gulf Bank extends it support to local youth initiatives, proudly advocating for women empowerment, sustainability, health and fitness, and building on the legacy of Kuwait's heritage and history. This year, Gulf Bank 642 Marathon partnered with Kuwait Red Crescent Society to bring medical aid to those who are unable to afford medical treatment, providing support in covering the provision of medical devices including pacemakers, cochlear devices, hearing aids, electric wheelchairs, and stents.
For more information regarding the Gulf Bank 642 Marathon, and to view the marathon winners' names, please visit www.gulfbank642marathon.com or check out the Instagram account @GulfBank642.
