Moroccan Sydney Marathon winner Othmane El Goumri dedicates victory to earthquake victims
He almost didn’t step foot on the plane to Australia, but the devastating Moroccan earthquake was the motivation behind Othmane El Goumri’s Sydney Marathon victory.
Southern Courier
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He almost didn’t step foot on the plane to Australia, but the devastating Moroccan earthquake was the motivation for Othmane El Goumri to win the scorching Sydney Marathon.
The last minute decision to leave his country wasn’t easy, and El Goumri was adamant about staying home to mourn with his fellow countrymen.
However, having committed to the Sydney Marathon and finding a resolve in representing Morocco in midst of one of the country’s toughest tests with about 3000 dead, the 31-year-old used that as motivation to break from the pack on Sunday and run to victory in front of the famous Opera House.
Speaking to this publication through a translator while having coffee near the finish line, El Goumri wanted to dedicate his victory to the suffering Moroccans in wake of the powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake last week.
“I wanted to give this win to the people of Morocco,” he said.
“Because this moment in Morocco, everybody is sad, I wanted to give some positivity.”
In his last appearance at the Barcelona Marathon, where he set a Moroccan record and finished six seconds behind the eventual winner, El Goumri was surprised by the Sydney course.
Because of the hills, he said “it wasn’t easy” and you’re also competing against some of the world’s best runners, from the likes of “Kenya, Ethipoia and other African countries”.
But wearing a black armband in memory of those dead from the earthquake, El Goumri said it was by far the “most beautiful” and best course he had run.
Leaving his family back in Morocco, the 31-year-old had little time to celebrate his victory, having an early flight booked back to his home country on Monday morning.
He said now it’s time to “visit and help the people in Marrakech” and other towns in any way he can, like donating money and following in the footsteps of other Moroccan athletes who have donated blood for those injured.
Having flown to Australia by himself, the earthquake wasn’t the only battle El Goumri has had to overcome.
Training wasn’t easy for the Sydney Marathon winner – regularly running alone in the streets of Rabat and up in the picturesque mountains of Ifrane, and to make the situation more difficult, his coach lives in America.
El Goumri said unlike most top marathon runners, he doesn’t have the same type of support, often organising his own meal plans and training sessions.
But, the Moroccan has his sights on the Paris Olympics, hoping to bring back a medal for the people of Morocco, and saying he was “90 per cent” sure he would return to Sydney and defend his title next year.
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