The 16th edition of the Victory Women’s Race, organized this Sunday morning by the “Women: Achievements and Values” association, under the high patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist and empower him, was distinguished by the participation of over 12,000 girls, young women, and women, including Moroccan residents in France and African students. This was in addition to the notable participation of associations from the Moroccan Special Olympics and the Lalla Asmae Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
Nouzha Bidouane, President of the Association and the Organizing Committee, had previously stated her aspiration to “organize an exceptional edition worthy of the history of this venerable race and contribute to enhancing its national and international prominence, through broad participation and meticulous organization reflecting values of professionalism and excellence.”
After the flag salute to the tune of the national anthem, the Mayor of Rabat, Mrs. Fatiha El Moudni, accompanied by Mrs. Nouzha Bidouane, President of the Royal Moroccan Federation for All Sports, and in the presence of a host of former sports champions, officially launched the race. Organized under the slogan “I Run As Much As I Can,” the race commenced at exactly 10:00 AM from the entrance of the Experimental Garden – Bab Tamesna, Avenue An-Nasr. Participants, from various social strata and age groups, covered a distance of 7 km, either by running, jogging, or walking, passing through Bab Rouah, Avenue Moulay El Hassan, then African Unity Square, then Avenue d’Alger, then Abraham Lincoln Square, Avenue Ahmed Al-Yazidi, Roosevelt Square, Avenue Challa, Bab Zaer, Moulay Youssef High School, and finally Bab Rouah, arriving back at the starting point.
In a statement to the press, Mrs. Bidouane expressed her great satisfaction with the massive turnout witnessed during this edition, especially from young women, “as they are the future,” and the wonderful atmosphere that characterized the course of the race, which took place on a beautiful track, passing by some of the historical monuments that adorn the capital of the Kingdom, the City of Lights. She added that she was also pleased with the participation of women from abroad, including a lady from Chechnya, even though the race is not international in nature. She concluded that the desired goal of the Federation and the Association is to contribute to spreading sports culture and generalizing healthy sports practice.
For their part, Rahma Tirard, President of “Rahma Coaching Association,” and Ait Brik Mariam Eddaoui, Director of “Al Hayat Al Ijtimaia Space,” expressed their pride and honor in participating in the 16th edition of the Victory Race “in our beloved country.” They considered the event to be impressive and successful by all standards.
They noted that the delegation included, in addition to Moroccan nationals, other women of French, Malian, and Algerian nationalities, affirming their determination to encourage other Moroccan women residing in some European countries to join this purposeful sports and community initiative to participate in future editions of the Victory Women’s Race, which is currently among the largest women’s races worldwide.
In the young women’s category, Latifa El Khiari (Epi El Qanadil Association) won the race, ahead of Hajar Sufiani and Salma Labib. In the senior women’s category, Fatima Zahra Maissour won, ahead of Naima Haroud and Mariam Khali, who has consistently participated in the Victory Race since its first editions.
Regarding the Lalla Asmae Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Sihem Touadli, Naimat Brabha, and Yasmina Sahli were crowned. Aasiya Allaoui secured the first place in the Moroccan Special Olympics category, followed by Fadoua Messameh and Malak El Akroumi.
In the schoolgirls’ category, Fatima Zahra Eddahabi came in first place, ahead of Kawtar Qiji’a and Malak Zariabi, while representatives of the Confederation of African and Foreign Students and Trainees in Morocco took the top three positions: Umbyo Erstein (Rwanda), Fostin Dinako (Togo), and Moily Eliza (Dominica).
A team representing the National Motorway Company also participated in the race, with the first three places going to Oumaima Chiban, Naima Oughtagh, and Rachida Baâssou.
Medals, financial incentives, and prizes were presented notably by the Mayor of Rabat, the President of the Women: Achievements and Values Association, athletics champions Hasna Benhassi and Rachid El Basir, Ibrahim Lahlafi and Zahra Ouaziz, former international football player Salah Eddine Bassir, the Regional Delegate for Youth Affairs Maad Aman, the representative of the Sports Directorate Mohamed Oulhaj, members of the executive office of the Royal Moroccan Federation for All Sports, and other personalities.
In recognition of the culture of acknowledgment, and as the Association has done for several years, several sports champions and coaches were honored, foremost among them Mohamed Sendouy, who supervised Nouzha Bidouane’s training at the beginning of her career.
The team that came from France, from the cities of Val-d’Oise, Aubervilliers, Viry, and Caillou, was also celebrated.
Thanks were also extended to everyone who contributed to the success of this distinguished annual sporting event, thanks to the concerted efforts of all the Association’s partners, particularly the services of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, supporting bodies and institutions, the Royal Armed Forces Sports Center, and dozens of male and female volunteers.
It is worth noting that the 16th edition of the Victory Women’s Race constituted the third stage of the Women’s Victory steps for the 2025-2026 sports season, following the stages of Mediouna (April 4) and Zagora (April 11).
