Three-time French Marathon champion Alaa Hrioud was at the start of the Lifestar Malta Marathon this morning with bib number 1, while bib number 2 has been assigned to Italian Marathon champion Oukhrid Lhoussaine. They were the favourites for overall success in the 40th edition of the Malta Marathon, which will also see the Moroccans at the start as outsiders: Abdelali Razyn (3); Abdelmajied Elhissouf (4); Aziz Ait Ourkia (5); Mousaab Hadout (7) and Said Hachchach (8).

The Lifestar Malta Marathon bib handover ceremony took place on Friday 21 February at the Italian Cultural Institute in Valletta on the occasion of the Noma 2025 Award. Also present was Paralympics gold medallist Richard Whitehead who was at the start of the Marathon tomorrow with bib number 52, while the winner of the 2024 edition, Jemina Farley, ran with bib number 51. Among the Maltese athletes, Charlton Debono ran with bib number 9, Andrew Grech with bib number 12, David Mansfiled with bib number 13 and Joanna Attard Pulis with bib number 54.

Veteran Charles Darmanin received bib number 40 in honour of his 40 consecutive participations in the Malta Marathon

Three-time French champion and winner of the 2024 edition of the Lifestar Malta Marathon, Alaa Hrioud said: ‘This will be my first Marathon in 2025. I have prepared well to aim for victory and make a good time. The race is of the highest level with many athletes capable of winning and breaking the Lifestar Malta Marathon record.’

The race record among men was set in 2023 by Moroccan Redouan Nouri with a time of 2:13:18.

A record total of 5,100 athletes registered for the 40th Malta Marathon with a record presence of foreigners: 2,600 from 80 countries around the world and a further 500 foreigners residing in Malta. At the start there were also 700 children taking part in a race over a distance of 1.5 km. and a 5k with 300 participants.

At the start of the Marathon there was also the former 3,000 steeplechase champion – silver medallist at the European Championships in 1982 and silver medallist at the World Championships in Helsinki in 1983 – Poland’s Boguslav Maminski, who at almost 70 years of age still runs among amateurs.

Following last year’s success, the 2025 edition of the LifeStar Malta Marathon will for the second consecutive year, broadcast live on TVM Sport. More than four hours of broadcasting of all phases of the race are planned: from the start in Mdina to the finish, including various interviews and the awards ceremony for the top prizes.

Media broadcaster Pierre Cordina will be broadcasting the 2025 LifeStar Malta Marathon live on Bay Easy 100.2 from the finish in Sliema.

NOMA AWARD

For the third consecutive year, the organising committee of the Lifestar Malta Marathon – led by Joe Micallef with Xandru Greach and Nando Sorbello – promoted the Noma Award, organised by Comites Malta and Maltese Italian Chamber of Commerce to ‘celebrate’ the union between Malta and Italy.

Prizes were awarded by the Italian Ambassador in Valletta, Fabrizio Romano; the First Secretary of the Italian Embassy in Malta, Consul Andrea Varischetti; journalists Joanna Camilleri of TVM and Lorenzo Magrì of Catania’s La Sicilia newspaper; the coach of the Maltese national softball team, Roberto Andolfi; the CEO of Visit Malta, Carlo Micallef; the Managing Director of Virtu Ferrie, Henri Saliba; the Sicily Region’s Tourism Councillor, Elvira Amata (Mr. Pippo Martino collected the prize); and, in addition, the Italian Minister of Tourism, Mr. Maltese. Pippo Martino) and, in addition, Ernestina Cassar, Marcello Basile Cherubino, Denis Borg, Victor Camilleri, Boguslaw Maminski, Charles Damanin and Jemina Farley. The Noma 2025 prize was awarded by the organising committee to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, Chris Bonett.

START TIMES 

Malta Marathon – Mdina at 7.00am and has a 5 hour time limit.

Malta Half Marathon – Mdina at 8.15am and has a 3 hour time limit.

Malta ‘Endo’ Walkathon which is also part of the Half Marathon – Mdina at 8.15am and has a 3.75 hour time limit.

5K Charity Run & Walk – Sliema (Malta Marathon finish) at 07.10 and has a 1.25 hour time limit.

Kids (exclusivity) 1.5K Race – Sliema (Malta Marathon finish) at 08.35.