Rabat Half Marathon Race Report 2013

  A couple of weeks ago I traveled up to Rabat for the 9th annual Rabat Semi-Marathon (or the Rabat Half Marathon). Although I lived in Rabat last year, because of a nagging injury resulting in a lack of training, this was my first year running this race. I had decided not to train specifically for the Rabat Half this year but just to use it as an aggressive long run in my training. As such my personal goals for the race were not very high. My first goal, as it is with any event I participate in, was to finish having had a good time. I run because I enjoy it and if I stop enjoying races...well that would not be fun. Second, I wanted to set a new P.R. (personal record) for the distance. Seeing as how I have only ever run one other half and did not train for that either I went into the race thinking I had a good chance of accomplishing my goal.

  On the Rabat half marathon website (which is of course in French (Google Translate does a good job with making it readable) there is a page that allows you to sign up online. However, unlike the when I ran the Marrakech Marathon back in January I decided not to do the online registration but rather just sign up on race weekend in Rabat. Interesting side note: if you are in Rabat anytime in the few weeks leading up to the race there are certain places you can go to sign-up in person in advance of race weekend, like the park near the Sofitel Hotel or the Marjane in Hay Riad. 

  So, we arrived in Rabat on the Friday before the race, checked into our hotel, and headed to where the starting line would be on Sunday hoping to find an expo, a race village, or somewhere I could register. This was the one thing I could not find on the website, information about a packet pick-up. Luckily we saw a lonely white tent set up about half a mile from the Rabat train station. I filled out the registration form, paid (50 moroccan dirham), and was given my bib. That was the entirety of the race packet, nothing else, but when you only pay about five U.S. dollars you can't ask for much. (The website said that the fee for foreigners is 20 euro but I wasn't going to argue with the lady). 

Race Day

  On race morning I headed down to the starting line from our hotel in the old medina (market). It was about 3/4 of a mile walk to the Rabat train station where the starting line was. Once we made it to the starting area I said goodbye to my wife and son and worked my way into about the middle of the crowd of runners. Unlike some races there are no starting corals or people with signs saying where people going for certain time goals should meet. Instead there was just 1,500 runners all mingled together. Some slow in the very front and some fast in the very back.

  As race time neared the pros came out from somewhere and entered the starting are in front of us age groupers and began their last minute warm-ups. Remember that unlike many races in America, races here do not have elaborate pre-race speeches or countdowns. It normally goes like this; the music on the PA system is turned off about five minutes before the start (if there is music), then the pros line up for a few minutes (normally the crowd is big enough that you can't see them), and finally you hear a gun go off and the race starts. This year at the Rabat half there was almost a stampede when the pros lined up and then took off doing some extra stretching, causing the age group runners to think the race had begun. That was an interesting experience.

  Eventually the race began and we headed out on our 13.1 mile run.

  The first few miles lead us out of the old city walls and up toward the part of the city called Agdal. From there the race turns back toward the old market and the gate Bab El Had. This was, in my opinion, one of the neatest sections of the race because after you reach the gate you turn around and follow the same road for about a mile or so. Since it was still early in the race I was able to watch the pros and all the lead vehicles and camera crews coming back up the road. It is not a group of people I get to run with everyday. After the turn around the race heads out of town toward the soccer stadium.

The Pros

The Pros Again

The Turn Around Close to Bab El Had

  Other than a quite a few rolling hills there are really only two hills of any significance in the Rabat Half-marathon. One comes almost immediately after the half way point. After running past all the car dealerships in the city, the race route turns and you have to run up quite a large overpass that goes over the auto-route and the train tracks. It is not a long climb it is just steep and comes out of nowhere if your not expecting it.

The climb up the overpass

The view down to the auto route 

  The other hill is actually a down hill section that leads the race back into the old city walls and to the finish line. I mentioned about a hill section in an earlier post 

Places to Run: Rabat part 3

 this is that area just down hill. It begins going down at Chella (the old castle that has Roman ruins inside) and really does not stop or return to flat until the finish line. I mentioned this because for me it was one of the hardest sections. I was chasing a PR and had been pushing myself so to then see this steep down hill was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because it was not an up hill but a curse because as I picked up my pace my quads began screaming at me (I have done NO hill training recently).

Chella 

City walls at the start of the down hill section

  The finish line is about a quarter mile from the starting line but in the same area as the train station. As I crossed the finish line I was surprised how many people were still hanging out watching people come across the line. After catching my breadth for about 30 seconds I was given my finishers medal and directed to get in line for some water, a finishers t-shirt, and a hat.

Finish line area

Finishers medal

Post race thoughts

  I had a great time running this years Rabat Half Marathon (Rabat Semi Marathon). While the half is not my favorite distance, it is races like this that I enjoy running because they take you places in the city you normally could not run or could not run without risking being hit by a car. Will I run it again? I'm sure one day I will but like I said the half is not my distance and so I do not know when that day will come. However, I can say that I would recommend this race to others.

Getting Spooked on a Run in the Woods

    I mentioned in an earlier post that my time running in Morocco and in general has given me many opportunities to meet people I would not have otherwise. Sometimes those meetings are others that are running, sometimes they are people in a convenience store, and other times they are people I do not even speak to but will never forget. 

    I was running about six months ago in a forest between Rabat and Temara, Morocco. I was on some of the smaller trails that crisscross that forest (mule trails) and I had not seen anyone the whole time I was out there. As I came around a bent in the trails there was a guy walking by himself so I stepped off the trail as I passed him. 

    This is where this guy, who would have normally faded away from my memory without a second thought became someone I will never forget. As I passed him this quiet man who did not even acknowledge my "passing on your right" (in Arabic) suddenly came alive. He turned toward me, threw his arms up in the air like a mother bear defending her cubs, contorted his face into quite an interesting expression, and screamed a blood curtailing screech at the top of his lungs. 

    I was in total shock, in fact I was likely screaming myself (in a manly way). I jumped and then took off not knowing what this man was doing. After about ten meters I looked behind me to see if he was gaining on me only to see him walking with his hand back in his pockets, head down, smiling.

    Do you have any similar experiences with people who you met on a run that you will never forget? You can leave your story below in the comments. Then get out for a run.

Best Places to Run: Rabat Part 3

    This final installment of Running in Morocco's Best Places to Run Rabat edition is going to be a little different than the last two. Instead of writing about just one of the many great places to run in Rabat, I am going to write briefly about two places. Before we get into it, if you have not read Part 1  about the Hilton Forest or Part 2  about the route that goes along the river and ocean front in Rabat, I hope that you will go back and read them as well. 

    Since I have two places to cover I am not going to waste time with a long introduction but just dive into it. First up, a hill with a rewarding view at the top.

Name:

The Chellah Hill (there really is not a name for it.) 

Location:

The Administrative Quarter,starting near the Marjane (giant grocery store) and ending at the historic Chellah ruins.

Points of Interest:

• The route is approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) long
• It climbs about 132 ft (40m)
• Ends at the historic Chellah, where there are ruins from a Roman settlement, and an awesome view of the valley and the river.

Description:

    I mentioned in Part 2 that there are very few big hills in Rabat. I think that this might be the biggest one you will find that is easily accessible to run within the city. I ran this hill during a couple of my 20 mile long runs on Saturdays mornings and because I was out early enough I did not have to deal with the car exhaust. I would have loved to use this hill for my hill workouts but I lived to far away. It really is perfect for these kinds of work outs because although it is really not that high, it is still a formidable hill.

The Chellah Walls

    There is a good size sidewalk all the way up and it is well maintained. There are a lot of embassies in this area and the Palace is near by so the whole area is well kept up and safe. Sadly, there is not anywhere nearby to buy water except for the grocery store at the base of the hill. So, make sure you keep that in mind.

Directions:

    It is nice to have so many inexpensive taxis in Morocco, because it makes getting to places very easy. To get to the base of the hill you simply need to ask a taxi to take you the the "Marjane" close to Quarter Hassan. From there run up the hill, if you come to a bridge then you have gone the wrong way. If you are driving this grocery store is near downtown on the river and there is plenty of parking.

    Next, is another park. This park is not technically in Rabat (I think that the border between the two cities runs through the park), but lets just say that it is in the greater Rabat area. 

Name:

Forest in Temara

Location:

The main entrance and parking area is in Temara

Points of Interest: 

• Large park away from traffic and the hussle of the city
• Lots of trails
• There are more than five miles of different trails

Description:

    OK, although this park may not be the easiest for a visitor to the city to find or all that close to the center of town, I am including it because of its size. In the metro areas of many large cities it would be hard to find the number of miles of trails that are at this park. On the far south-west side of the park in Temara, is the main entrance with a parking lot as well. However, around the perimeter of the park is a low wall and in several places there are gates that are open and can be used as alternate entries. 

    If you look at the forest on a map you will notice how large it is. Just keep in mind that the park is only a small section of that forest. If you start getting close to an area not part of the park you will probably notice that the trails aren't nearly as well used and my advice would be to turn around and find another path. If you go on the weekends or in the afternoons there are normally enough people there that you should be able to see where everyone else is running.

    This park was is one of my favorite places to run when I am in Rabat. I love trails that are remote and out in the middle of nowhere or in the mountains. Being a city dweller this park is the next best thing when I can't just get away. It's close enough to Rabat as not to take forever to get there but when you're there it is remote enough to lose yourself to the trails and your own thoughts. Just be careful that while you're lost in your thoughts not to let the occasional sheep, goat, or cow hearder with their livestock scare you as you turn a bend in the trail (which can also happen in the middle of any city in Morocco). 

    Also, unlike the Hilton Forest there is no where inside this park to get water, so you're on your own.

Directions:

    This one is a little tricky. My best suggestion to get here would be to ask a taxi to take you to the "Aswak Al Salam in Hay Riad." That is another grocery store and it is less than half a mile from one of the entrances through the wall. 

    Once you are at the grocery store you will want to cross over the large road at the round-about (this is part of the auto route that goes around the city). Once you cross the auto route you will have villas on you left hand and across the road will be what looks like a forest, thats not it. Continue down this road (Avenue Mehdi Ben Barka) until you reach the park on your left, it is about 3/10 of a mile after that huge intersection. 

    Well, that finishes it up for our series about the best places to run in Rabat. I only covered four of what I considered to be the best, most accessible and scenic running routes in Rabat. There are still many other great places to run. In all the time I spent in Rabat, I was never at a loss for a good place to run. Sometimes it is even good to just run through the different parts of town to observe and enjoy the wonderful culture that makes up Morocco. 

    I love running in Rabat and I hope that this series will help you the next time you are out for a run in this great city. As always, if you know of any other places to run in Rabat or have any comments or questions about the places I have mentioned, please write in the comment section below.

Here are links to the other two articles in the 

Best Places to Run: Rabat

 series: 

The Best Places to Run: Rabat Part 1 - The Forest Hilton

The Best Places to Run: Rabat Part 2 - The River and Ocean Front Route

Best Places to Run: Rabat Part 2

    Welcome back to Running in Morocco's Best Places to Run Rabat edition. This is Part 2 in a three part series of some of the most interesting, scenic, easy to get to, and runner friendly places in Rabat to visit on your next run in the city. Make sure if you haven't read Part 1 to go back and check it out.

    In my first post in the series, we looked at a forest/park with trail and trees. Today, I want to show you somewhere located a little more in the urban jungle. 

Next up is a path that runs along the outside of the old city, the river, and the ocean in Rabat. 

Name:

The River Bouregreg / Atlantic Ocean Path

Location:

By the Kasbah Udayas on the river side of Rabat's old souq and stretching down 

Rabat's coast

Points of Interest:

• Awesome views and never a dull part to the run
• Only a short distance from Rabat's old market
• Easy to get to by taxi, foot, bike, bus
• Traffic free running path / sidewalk
• Route can be as short as you like or as long +12 miles 
• There is parking if you have a car

Description:

    This run is a mix of a recreational running path and sidewalks. If you want a truly scenic run this is possibly one of the best in all of Rabat. Starting on the river Bouregreg's boardwalk you will pass by several well known landmarks and sights. 

Rabat's famous blue boats on the river

    First, as you run along the river toward the ocean, you will see on your left the old city situated inside its fortified walls. Straight ahead you will see the Kasbah Udayas (an old fort/castle) situated on the mouth of the river. Once you reach the Kasbah you will run around a recently constructed tunnel and then onto a sidewalk that leads up a good sized hill to the Kasbah entrance. 

    Side note: if you are in the midst of training for a race and you are in Rabat on a day that calls for a hill work out, this hill is one of only a few you will find in the city. The best way to do this is to start on the backside of this hill (by the beach) and run up toward the Kasbah facing the river. It's not long but it is steep near the top.

Kasbah Udayas

    As you crest the hill you will notice two more sights. First, ahead will be Rabat's only beach area and on your left will be a huge cemetery.  If your up for it you can take a quick detour and head out on the pier(you should be able to see it as you are coming down the hill). 

    As you follow the path you will pass Rabat's lighthouse, this is the last of the landmarks. From this point forward you can run along the ocean road (there's a sidewalk) for really as long as you would like. There is a conference center that is about 6 miles from the riverfront and a convenient place to turn around. 

    As far as places to get water, there are several restaurants on the river front and on the beach, near the pier. If you choose to go the 6 miles out, there are cafes where you can buy water about 1/2 a mile before the conference center.

Note of caution

:

I would not recommend using this route close to dark. Why? One main reason, it's close to the ocean! A large part of this area of Rabat's ocean front is along cliffs, they aren't crazy high but to me a cliff is a cliff. There are some places where the path comes very close to the edge. Therefore, I urge extreme caution at all times and I would recommend not using the path any time when visibility is reduced (dusk, night, rain, fog) and there aren't people around to help.

Directions:

    The directions to get to this one is much easier than to the Hilton Forest. Again, from anywhere in Rabat get a blue taxi and ask to go either to the "Kasbah Udayas" or the "River Bouregreg". If you are staying close to the old market you can easily walk through the market exiting near the river.

Map of the Rabat's river and ocean front 

    Well, that is it for part 2 of the Best Places to Run in Rabat. Make sure you go back and read Part 1 if you haven't yet and look out for part three coming soon. I hope you get the chance to run this scenic part of Rabat. As always, please exercise (haha) caution whenever you are running and especially in an unfamiliar place. As much as we all love running it would not be good to remember Morocco as the place where you got injured on vacation. 

    Again, if you have any questions or suggestions please leave your comment below. Then get out and go for a run.       

Best Places to Run: Rabat Part 1

    As I mentioned before, running in big cities is always interesting. Dodging traffic when crossing busy intersections, avoiding unaware pedestrians, while trying to maintain a certain pace / heart-rate and keeping a keen awareness for hidden dangers that may threaten to twist your ankle.

    That said, city running is also just as rewarding in its own right. I spent some considerable time in Rabat, Morocco and found that although my marathon training long runs took me to the heart of the city, through the old Souq, past parliament, and other amazing sites there were other times that I just wanted an easier, safer path or just something with a little less traffic. So, here I want to present to you, in a three part series, three of the best places to run the next time you are visiting the beautiful city of Rabat. 

    First up is a park close to the center of town, the Hilton Forest. 

Name: The Hilton Forest.

Official Name: Forêt Hilton

Location: Agdel, Rabat (Close to the neighborhood Souissi)

Points of Interest:

• Close to the city center (10 mins from the market)
• Easy to get to by taxi
• There is parking if you have a car
• Wide dirt trails
• Main loop is about 1.75 miles (2.8km)

Description:

    This is a small plot of wooded land right in the middle of Rabat. The forest, think large park, has wide (maybe ten feet wide in some places), well packed dirt trails. The main loop is about 1.75 miles and there is also a smaller loop that is in the center with trails leading off in all kinds of directions. The whole park is fenced in and has gardeners working all day long keeping the forest groomed. There has been security every time I have been there.

    I have never been to the park when there were not a good number of people there, both men and women running in groups and alone. There are fast runners, slow walkers, and parents pushing their children in strollers. When I have intervals to do and I am in Rabat this is the perfect place because its almost flat and I never need to watch out for cars or other dangers associated with typical running in cities.

    Also, one of the nice things about this park is that there is a cafe inside the park, near the entrance by the Sofitel Hotel. This is important because although Rabat, and really all of Morocco, has an abundance of little stores and cafes to buy water from, where the park is there aren't any. That little cafe has come in handy more than once. I don't know when the cafe is open or closed so I would only rely on it as a back up option for your water needs.

Directions:

If you are staying anywhere in Rabat the easiest way to get to the park is to catch a little blue taxi. Ask the driver to take you to the Sofitel Hotel. This is one of the most prestigious hotels in all the city (all the famous foreigners that I have heard of visiting, stay there) and it overlooks the forest. Anyways, once you arrive, if you stand facing the front of the hotel the forest is on your right. Just walk / run through the park gate and have fun.

Map of the forest from maps.google.com

    This concludes the Best Places to Run in Rabat Part 1. Make sure to look for the next two installments. Rabat is a wonderful city to visit with lots of amazing sights, museums, restaurants and other things to do. If you don't have time to go for a run on your next visit or forgot your running shoes, make sure you at least get out and explore. If you know of another good running place or have any questions about something I have mentioned just leave a comment and I will try to give you an answer.