AMMAN — The sight of a runner on the streets of Amman is a rare occurrence, but according to many local runners, what the community lacks in size, it makes up for in passion for the sport.
Ala Baydoun, a lifelong runner from Jordan, told The Jordan Times that there are “a number of problems” that might dissuade people from entering the sport.
“It is not easy to train in this country. The streets are poorly maintained, there are a lot of holes, you really have to keep an eye on where your feet are landing,” she said.
Baydoun has built a career in running, specifically in ultra marathons — any race over a distance of 42.2 kilometres.
Beginning running at age 12, Baydoun has competed internationally and in several of Jordan’s most famous ultra marathon events, such as desert ultra marathons in Wadi Rum and the “Dead to Red” event, a 24-hour relay race from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea.
She said that Jordan has some incredible landscapes available for ultra marathon running; “I don’t run road ultras, I prefer trail ultras, especially in the desert.”
However, Baydoun also noted that ultra marathon running can bring its own share of issues in Jordan, particularly in regard to acquiring the necessary equipment, such as shoes and gel energy packets.
“Getting running gear in this country is not easy, there are not many shops at all, and I have to ship everything from the US or Europe,” she said.
Most importantly, Baydoun said that runners in Jordan, particularly female runners, also face a number of issues related to safety in the streets.
“A lot of other female runners wouldn’t dare to run by themselves sometimes; they’re scared and always have a male runner with them because they feel more safe that way,” she said.
Baydoun, and a number of her running peers, have been harassed, called names and even attacked in the streets while out on a run.
“You have to be really alert at all times, very careful,” she added.
The question of safety has led many runners in the city to seek the security of group runs, led by a number of popular running groups.
Mohammad Al Salameen, another runner from the Petra district, said group runs are also beneficial “because you can get the full experience of running while meeting new people and sometimes you also get the chance to find new places to run with these groups”.
“Running is an evolving culture in Amman,” Salameen told The Jordan Times after a recent “Running Amman” event in Dabouq. He noted that he only started to hear about running groups about five years ago, and before that “there were not many groups at all”.
“Running Amman” is a running group that organises three free group runs weekly, attracting “hundreds of runners every week, from all nationalities and walks of life”, including “nationals who have lived their entire life in Jordan, to tourists who are here for just a day”, according to the group’s website.
Andrej Juriga, from Slovakia who is in Jordan for the summer to study Arabic, said that it has been difficult to figure out the city’s running culture.
“The little information I found online was about the most common places in Amman people typically go to run, but there were no details about the landscape, difficulty or the length of the trails, how to get there if no car available, or how to dress to avoid any cultural faux pas,” he told The Jordan Times
This led him to seek out a running group, Running Amman, on social media. “I see a few more benefits in these community runs. It’s another way of exploring different neighbourhoods of Amman and an excellent place for networking as there are runners of very diverse professional and cultural backgrounds,” he said.
While these running groups provide good opportunities for exploring the city, Jordan still lacks much to do with the competition side of the running culture, according to Baydoun.
“We do not have a single race in Jordan that is internationally recognised by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), even the Amman full marathon,” she said.
Despite the problems that runners may face in Jordan, Baydoun — and other runners — are not dissuaded.
“Running is everything to me; it’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle… it’s rewarding in every single way… it’s the most raw form of freedom,” Baydoun stated.
