Excitement among athletes is ramping up for the upcoming LifeStar Malta Marathon, with over 3,000 participants expected to sign up.
The 39th edition, being held on February 25, 2024, will also see more than 1,500 foreign athletes descend on the island for this anticipated annual event.
This is the first time that LifeStar is supporting this event, and it has committed to be the main sponsor for the next three years, a commitment that LifeStar chairman Paolo Catalfamo believes is a healthy partnership.
Catalfamo, a former athlete himself who was the under-18s 800-metre champion in Italy, said: “At LifeStar we are focused on health and wellbeing and supporting this longstanding marathon ties in with our values to promote sports and health lifestyles. We look forward to a strong partnership with the Malta Marathon in the years ahead.”
The marathon, which was first organised in 1986, has become a permanent fixture on the calendar of runners who look forward to meeting on the outskirts of Mdina each year. This event, which had a humble 109 participants for its first edition, keeps growing from strength to strength.
Organiser Joe Micallef explained that Redouan Nouiri, the winner of the 2023 Malta Marathon and course record holder in 2h 13m 18s will be returning to Malta to defend his title.
For the first time, the Malta Marathon organisers have also invited a professional female to participate in the 2024 LifeStar Malta Marathon — Moroccan Rabab Halbi who has a personal best in the Marathon of 2h 35m 33s.