RIYADH: For many, summer in Saudi Arabia is a time to relax on the couch, crank up the air conditioning and watch other people playing sports on TV. Those who dare to resist this approach often suffer heat stroke.
Nevertheless, running clubs in the Kingdom are more active than ever and there are no signs that this trend will slow down any time soon.
Seema Ghannam, who regularly attends Riyadh Road Runner Club meetings, told Arab News: “You can stay active anywhere. Wherever you go, there are no limits to your movement because you already have hands, arms and legs. That's what you were born to do: keep moving.”
Comprising participants of different ages and nationalities, the Riyadh Road Runner participants began with a warm-up before moving on to strength training and then running laps around the course. (Supplied)
Until a few years ago, physical activity in the Kingdom was virtually non-existent outside of schools and football clubs. The lack of facilities, suitable outdoor spaces and the hot weather put people off. But that is changing. From the growing number of padel courts to the new projects on Sports Boulevard, physical activity is increasing rapidly and running is no exception.
To find out how these runners manage to keep up their training despite the heat, Arab News visited the Riyadh Road Runners, founded in 1978, at one of the club's Monday sessions at 7:30pm at the Eid Villas Compound. The runners ran laps, climbed stairs and completed full-body workouts.
The group, which consisted of participants of different ages and nationalities, began with a warm-up before moving on to strength training and then running a few laps around the field, focusing on the correct technique.
FASTFACTS
• Until a few years ago, there was virtually no physical activity in the Kingdom outside of schools and certain football teams.
• Now all that is changing. From the growing number of padel courts to the new projects on Sports Boulevard, physical activity is increasing rapidly.
Coach Amr Hafez has the runners occasionally break up their runs with bodyweight and stair exercises to increase endurance and muscle strength. The session ends with a final lap around the entire course. At the end of this very sweaty workout, the runners take a dip in the pool to cool off.
Ghannam, who is also a yoga and swimming instructor, added running to her workout routine two years ago. She said she likes Hafez's holistic approach, which involves working the abs, hips, buttocks and thighs.
“We focus on learning different types of running: how to run, how to place your toes and what shoes to wear.”
Riyadh Road Runners, Eid Villas Compound. (Photo by Mayas Al-Ahmadi)
Ghannam says she likes running outdoors because “the skin and body have to get used to the temperature.” To cope with the heat, however, runners should choose a time that suits them best, be it at night or early in the morning.
Hafez, national sales manager for a Saudi food company, has been training the Riyadh Road Runners for over three years. He has three important rules for running in the summer. First, drink plenty of fluids, second, control your breathing, and third – much to our regret – high-intensity interval training.
The coach said that when he started running, he used martial arts moves as part of his training, a fitness trick he learned from his first running coach.
Riyadh Road Runners, Eid Villas Compound. (Photo by Mayas Al-Ahmadi)
“Runners need to build all their muscles to achieve great performance,” he said. “The combination of strength and fitness helps people develop the ability to run long distances.”
Hafez said he used to believe that running had no purpose and was just a punishment when a school coach thought someone was slacking. He never imagined he would one day run a marathon or teach other people to do the same.
“Most of the team members couldn’t even jog a kilometer at the beginning,” he said.
Omar Al-Ansari, a coach at the R7 club in Riyadh, has already completed six marathons. R7 runs in Wadi Hanifa, where the location offers protection from the heat.
“The trees provide natural shade to the walking trails and the breeze from the lake creates a temperature difference of three to four degrees from the rest of the city,” he said.
Like the Riyadh Road Runners, R7 also emphasizes staying hydrated. “Always drink water while running and take electrolytes to compensate for fluid loss through sweating,” said Al-Ansari.
He also advises runners to wear light-colored clothing, do their workout before sunrise or after sunset, and choose a garden or wadi as the location or to train indoors.
“And never forget your sunscreen,” he added.
Many runners told Arab News there was no longer any excuse for inaction in the kingdom.
“We are seeing a growing awareness of the importance of an active lifestyle in the country and, despite our difficult summer weather, there are ways to make this happen,” Al-Ansari said.
Hafez made this simple suggestion to Arab News: “Start with walking and go from there.”
