French runner Hrioued and Sweden’s Sodermark to compete in Malta Marathon

The 2024 LifeStar Malta Marathon has attracted 3,200 participants, organisers announced on Tuesday.

This year’s edition of the LifeStar Malta Marathon has attracted around 2,200 foreigners, representing 83 countries. The biggest contingent is coming from Great Britain with 414 runners, followed by Italy with 233 and Poland with 166.

Among the foreign runners who will be taking part in the race is 38-year-old French-Moroccan Alaa Hrioued, winner of three marathons in France, namely in Albi 2018, Rennes 2021 and Deuville 2022.

Another notable runner to take part in the race is Moroccan Lhoussaine Oukhrid, who boasts a personal best of 2:12:04, which was clocked in the 2015 Florence Marathon.

Among the women’s field will be Sweden’s Frida Sodemark, European team champion in the 100km race in 2015 and a member of the Swedish national team for ultra-distance races.

Jemima Farley, the 2023 Malta Marathon winner in the women’s category and who also boasts the course record with a time of 2:36.51, will also be defending her title in the race and is among the favourites for this year’s edition.

Andrew Grech, the first Maltese runner home in the 2023 Malta, will again be taking part in the 2024 LifeStar Malta Marathon.

The bibs to the top runners will be handed over on Friday, February 23 at 6.30pm at the Sliema Band headquarters as part of NoMa 2024, an event organised in collaboration with Comites Italia and the Maltese-Italian Chamber of Commerce to reward and enhance excellence in sport, culture, journalism, and entrepreneurship.

The initiative, which will culminate with a pasta party organised by ‘Storie e Sapori’, will be broadcast live on Facebook by Gazzetta di Malta.

For the first time in its 39-year history, the LifeStar Malta Marathon will be broadcast live on TVM Sport.