Manal Rostom Just Ran The London Marathon And Beat Her Boston Marathon Time
The sporting event saw the highest-ever number of women crossing the finish line
This year’s edition of the renowned London Marathon took place yesterday, and it was a record-breaking affair – the sporting event saw the highest-ever number of women crossing the finish line, of which Manal Rostom was one.
The Egyptian athlete, model, co-founder of ‘Surviving Hijab’ and our all-around hero is unstoppable. She announced that she would be participating in the long-distance race, in support of Penny Appeal, just days ago. Sharing snaps on her Instagram account in the lead-up to the event, she joked that she’s ‘crazy’ and ‘bonkers’ for taking part in this race a mere two weeks after carrying the Egyptian flag over the finish line at the Boston Marathon.
The stereotype-shattering and label-defying marathon runner and mountaineer has had a busy few months, heading an all-female team to reach the summit of Everest’s South base camp in March.
Rostom shot to fame after she was the first hijabi woman to be featured in an international Nike campaign and the ongoing face of the Nike Pro Hijab. ‘Surviving Hijab’, which was born as a Facebook group and has since evolved into an online community, aims to bust myths around hijabi women from all walks of life, inviting members to share their stories and empower one another. 2019’s London Marathon marks Rostom’s 13th marathon and fifth major world marathon – she hopes to be the first Egyptian to finish all six.
Listen to our podcast with Manal Rostom here.