The 9th Edition of the Ultra Mirage El Djerid Marathon Kicks Off
The 9th edition of the Ultra Mirage El Djerid marathon got underway on Saturday, marking the beginning of sports events with a tourist dimension in the Tozeur governorate for the winter season.
According to Amir Belgacem, director of the race, this edition has recorded a record number of participants with no less than 500 runners from 29 countries, representing all five continents. This far exceeds previous editions, which started with 60 runners from 13 nationalities in the first edition, with numbers now considered very encouraging and testifying to the success and reach of this event in Tunisia and internationally.
"The organizers have decided this year to change the location of the race, moving from the Ong Jmel area to Lake Chamsa, located 15 km from the city of Tozeur. The runners will take a route that crosses the north of the governorate to the Chott El Gharsa sebkha, offering a spectacular backdrop of sand dunes, green oases, and salt flats," he specified.
Belgacem indicated that the 9th edition is marked by the launch of a new 25 km race specifically designed for amateur runners, which adds to the traditional distances of 50 km and 100 km. The races bring together all age categories (from 15 to 72 years old) and record a strong female participation, representing 25% of the total number of participants.
According to Adel Sbita, regional tourism commissioner, "beyond the sports competition, the Ultra Mirage plays an important role in the tourist relaunch of the region. The event inaugurates the winter season and actively contributes to the promotion of Saharan tourism.
More than 500 visitors are expected, which will boost the activity of hotel establishments. The event coincides with rising tourist indicators, leaving hope for an acceleration of the sector by the end of the year.
Furthermore, the organizing committee, with its partners, has set up social programs on the sidelines of the event, including the development and equipment of a multimedia room at the Tozeur youth center, dedicated to activities related to computer science, artificial intelligence, and robotics, after equipping a multipurpose room last year.
A partnership program is also being implemented with the Higher Institute of Technological Studies of Tozeur, aiming to train a elite of talented students in advanced information technologies and prepare them to participate in national and international competitions.
