Marathon Details - Ooredoo Marathon

International Marathons > Qatar > Doha > Ooredoo Marathon

Ooredoo Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Doha, Qatar

February 16, 2024

http://marathon.ooredoo.qa

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Reviews

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Number of comments: 4

P. G. from New York City (1/21/2023)

"Classic Doha Mess - all show, no substance;" (about: 2023)

50+ previous marathons | 1 Ooredoo Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1

I must strongly echo a prior comment here from a runner in the 2022 edition about the failure that the 2023 edition actually was (which is not what you will read in the organizer's pretend press releases).

I, too, have run more than 10 Gulf/Middle East marathons, as well as more than a hundred around the world, including in many African, Asian, and South American developing nations.

Rarely, have I seen such a sham of organization.

This event was all for show, packaged smugly in a 'just-in-time' packaging to LOOK like an actual world-class marathon, but sadly, was more amateurish than any I have seen in some of the poorest cities in the world...AND this, in Qatar, one of the RICHEST nations in the world (!?)

As pointed out, ZERO fans (we're talking WINDSWEPT loneliness along a generally empty highway course flanked by shiny new high-rises with barely a sign of life), with no sports drinks or even a free banana.

No distance markers, no music, hardly any signage (although often, at the last moment, a policeman or someone would happen to be nearby to ask directions).

Add to that a website that consistently offered no real information - including not giving the actual starting point, the actual starting time (which changed during the last week before), or any actual runner bib pickup times/location until TWO DAYS before the event!

Do you think they cared about how stressful that would be for international runners flying in from someplace else? Not at all.

Every inquiry sent resulted in a useless response from an Ooredoo employee cluelessly stating that this information would be on the website soon...but that never actually happened -- ever!

*** But the worst, most unforgivable BLUNDER for a 42K (26.2) mile marathon was the fact that there was NO LIQUIDS offered FOR MORE THAN an 18 km STRETCH (almost 12 miles)!!!

Each table had hundreds of sponges and several bewildered volunteers. But imagine that from the 9km (5.5 mile) point to the 27th km (17th mile) in the potentially dangerous heat of Doha, not only were there NO LIQUIDS of any kind, but also no indication while becoming dehydrated along the course that there EVER WOULD BE be any hydration at all.

And, because it is Doha (which, let's face it, is a blatant car 'city' of huge gated condos and enclosed malls), there was not even a single shop or gas station to buy one's own water or sports drink.

** Please note: I am not referring to an end-of-race scenario. I was firmly in the middle of the pack, with a mid-4 hour finish and there were easily hundreds of runners behind me who would face the same situation, even some I witnessed quitting from the heat and lack of hydration. (So, this was not just my individual issue.)

In short, these IRRESPONSIBLE bureaucrats (who, on social media two days before, seemed to love holding pompous press conferences and then later in self-congratulating press releases) sent out trusting runners to a full 42k (26.2 mile) marathon on a puzzling, unknown course, with no concern about THE MOST BASIC REQUIREMENT of any running event in the world: WATER!

Did they do anything right? Well, to be fair, the shirt was nice, and maybe you could count the dozens of professional photographers, abundant toilets (surprising points), and a ridiculous amount of unwanted sponges as a good thing...but no water?! Seriously...As mentioned, even the poorest developing country's marathon provides that.

Although I rarely give reviews despite having run more than 140 marathons in 75 countries on every continent, I am taking the time to air my disapproval of this one because... Come On!...Really? The world's richest country who seemed to need to impress everyone with their international sports prowess in the 2023 Fifa World Cup cannot organize a simple marathon with basic water stations!?

SHAME on them. If I hear that in future years the situation improves, I will ask to have this scathing review taken down, but until then, I hope this message comes through so that their future events do not become, as this one was: a failure and TOTAL EMBARRASSMENT in race (dis)organization.

J. C. from Doha, Qatar (3/15/2022)

"Just Don't" (about: 2022)

50+ previous marathons | 1 Ooredoo Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1

I have run several races (halfs and fulls) in the Middle East and Africa. This was BY FAR the worst course, organization, and support that I have ever experienced in the Gulf. It was hot and the aid stations only had one person/volunteer, water, strawberry milk (!), and apple juice (?). No sports drink and the poor volunteer was tearing open packaging to pass out the small bottles as runners were going by. No tables, no foresight on how people collect water at races, and no gels or salty snacks for those running the half or full.

Doha has some really lovely scenic areas, along the corniche/harbor and through historical areas. This route was 2-loops (half) and 4-loops (full) along boring city streets. Zero spectators. However, there were A LOT of photographers/videographers and people with clipboards writing down runner numbers to ensure no cheating. Why they didn't just use timing mats, I will never understand. Those volunteers would have been better used at the aid stations passing out water.

It was evident that the race day was organized by the telecoms firm and not by actual runners. They need to bring in a 'real' race director to get anywhere near what the Dubai Marathon has going on. Otherwise it will be a fiasco of a race, but with good social media content.

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Marathon Details - Ooredoo Marathon