British Embassy celebrates 1st Aswan marathon

CAIRO – 2 March 2017: The British Embassy hosted a celebration Tuesday for the first running of the Aswan42 marathon, which took place in late February, and recognized British-Egyptian surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub as a guest of honor, according to a press release by the embassy.

Yacoub took part in the Aswan42 marathon on Feb. 24. The marathon was sponsored by the British Embassy’s Inspire Egypt campaign, brought together 1,000 athletes from 32 different countries and was organized by the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation.

“Egypt has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the world and I’m pleased to see so many people taking part in regular sports, which is a crucial part of fixing this problem,” Yacoub said, according to the press release.

The celebration, hosted by British Ambassador John Casson, concluded with the presentation of a check to the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation by Ayman Hakky, founder of The TriFactory.

“It is inspiring to see Egyptians bring the same energy to solving the country’s social challenges as they bring to their daily lives … This is a clear example of inspiring Egyptians doing inspiring things,” said Casson.

Faiza Heider, captain of the Egyptian women’s football team and groups such as Cairo Runners and the Global Biking Initiative, also attended the marathon and spoke of the importance of women in sports.

Inspire Egypt

is an initiative launched by the British Embassy in Cairo in September 2016 to celebrate “inspirational Egyptians from all walks of life … and [invest] in their potential to make a difference to Egypt and the rest of the world.” It went viral with the hashtag #InspireEgypt.