The Italian Marathon champion, Oukhrid Lhoussaine, will participate in the LifeStar Malta Marathon, scheduled for Sunday 23 February, starting at 7am from Mdina and finishing in Sliema. His presence will enrich a race that promises to be of the highest international level.
Race director Joe Micalles said: “In the men’s Marathon there are at least eight foreign athletes who can aim both to win the LifeStar Malta Marathon and to break the race record set by Moroccan Redouan Nouri in 2023 with a time of 2:13:18. In the women’s field we are also expecting a record time with Moroccan Sana Achahbar and Scottish woman living in Malta Jemima Farley favourites. We are fully satisfied with the many champions present and we are happy with the number of entrants, especially foreigners, It is the best way to celebrate the 40th edition of the race”.
TOP RUNNERS
In addition to Oukhrid Lhoussaine, who won the Italian title on 2 February by triumphing in the Maga Circe Marathon in 2:16:58 (but his personal best is 2:12:04, set in 2015), three-time French champion Alaa Hrioud will once again be at the starting line, aiming to achieve an encore at the finish line in Sliema, after his success in the rain last year. Contending for the success of Lhoussaine and Hrioud are six other Moroccan athletes: Aziz Ait Ourkia, fresh from his victory in the Marrakech Half Marathon; Abdelmajied El Hissouf, who ran 2:13:16 in the Valencia Marathon on 1 December and took part in the 2016 Olympic Marathon in Rio de Janeiro; Moussab Hadout, second in the Montreal Marathon in 2024; Rahal Boucfar, who boasts a personal best in the Marathon of 2:13:37; Said Sachchach (last year he won the Stracandiolo in Turin, Italy); and Abdelali Razyn who set a personal best in the Half Marathon in Spain on 27 October with a time of 1:02:33.
Prominent among the Maltese athletes is the presence of Andrew Grech, second overall last year in the LifeStar Malta Martathon and Chalton Debono who recently ran 2:23:33 and who has a personal best of 1:05:50 achieved in the 2020 Malta Half Marathon.
Among the women, a duel for victory is expected between the Scottish (resident in Malta) Jemima Farley, winner of the last two editions of the Malta Marathon and record holder of the race with a time of 2:35:41, and the Moroccan Sana Achahbar who, after having won the Half Marathon in 2024, is aiming for success this year on the 42.195 km.
IT’S GOING TO BE A RECORD-BREAKING RACE
A total of 4,730 athletes have registered for the 40th Malta Marathon with a record presence of foreigners: 2,600 from 80 countries around the world and a further 500 foreigners residing in Malta. At the start on Sunday, 23 February, there will also be 700 children taking part in a race over a distance of 1.5 km. and a 5k with 300 participants.
START TIMES
Malta Marathon – Mdina at 7.00am and has a 5 hour time limit.
Malta Half Marathon – Mdina at 8.15am and has a 3 hour time limit.
Malta ‘Endo’ Walkathon which is also part of the Half Marathon – Mdina at 8.15am and has a 3.75 hour time limit.
Walkathon participants must all be behind the Half Marathon participants at the start or they could be disqualified.
5K Charity Run & Walk – Sliema (Malta Marathon finish) at 07.10 and has a 1.25 hour time limit.
Kids (exclusivity) 1.5K Race – Sliema (Malta Marathon finish) at 08.35.
