IAU President Nadeem Khan was appointed as a World Athletics delegate to the recently held 5th edition of the Riyadh Marathon. The event was a very well-organized race that is making quick leaps in quality of the organization and the numbers partaking in mass participation.
Central to the visit were strategic discussions with Sports for All (SFA)—the Saudi government’s primary entity for community and elite sports development—and World Athletics delegates to explore the Kingdom’s potential as a future host for major IAU events.
A key highlight of the trip included deep-dive sessions with Suffix, the prominent race organizers behind the Riyadh and Doha Marathons. With the group's leadership having a personal background in ultrarunning, there is a strong shared vision for bringing the IAU 100 km World Championships to either Saudi Arabia or Kuwait. This move aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which aims to transform the Kingdom into a global sports destination.
Beyond event hosting, Khan engaged with potential sponsors to discuss potential global and regional sponsorship opportunities for the IAU, while also opening preliminary dialogues with the Amaury Sports Organization (ASO)—the powerhouse behind the Tour de France and Dakar Rally—to explore future collaborative possibilities in the region.
Jacek Bedkowski
IAU Vice-President
