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Manal Rostom, an Egyptian marathon runner and mountaineer, has made history by becoming the first Egyptian woman to complete all six World Marathon Majors. The Abbott World Marathon Majors is a global competition for marathon runners that comprises six major marathons held annually in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. These races are considered to be among the most prestigious in the world of marathon running.
Rostom, who is a pharmacist by profession, began her exceptional journey in 2009 by climbing South Sinai’s highest peak, Mount St. Catherine. She has since completed several major marathons across Egypt and the world, as well as climbing Mount Kenya, the second highest peak in Africa in 2013, and reaching the top of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain above sea level, in May 2022.
Rostom had previously completed all of the other five WMM races and initially planned to run the Tokyo Marathon in March 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put her plans on hold. Her dedication to her run was for all girls, particularly Arab girls like herself who wear the hijab, which is in line with her advocacy against discrimination towards Muslim women athletes who wear the veil.
Rostom’s latest achievement cements her status as one of the Arab world’s foremost women athletes and marks yet another historic milestone for the Egyptian runner.
