Marwa Hassan (

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

: مروة حسن) is an Egyptian runner. As a child, Hassan was kept back from school by her stepmother and was made to sell packs of tissues on the street. She was illiterate and had no cell phone or spare clothing. In February 2018, at the age of 13, she observed a crowd on the street and was told it was a children's

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

for the Aswan Heart Centre. Although she lacked running clothes or shoes, she asked to enter. The race organizers allowed her to participate without paying the entrance fee, barefoot and wearing a long robe, and she unexpectedly won the marathon. She won a medal, a bottle of cooking oil, and a free cruise on the Nile with lunch included. She received acclaim from British ambassador

John Casson John David Casson CMG (born 4 June 1971) is a British diplomat, who served as the British Ambassador to Egypt from August 2014 to August 2018. Early life John David Casson was born in Birmingham, United Kingdom on 4 June 1971. Casson was bo ...

and the

Egyptian Olympic Committee The Egyptian Olympic Committee ( ar, اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية, abbreviated as EOC) is a non-profit organization serving as the National Olympic Committee of Egypt and a part of the International Olympic Committee. History ...

. She was made a member of the

Egyptian Athletic Federation The Egyptian Athletic Federation is the governing body for the sport of athletics in Egypt. It is a member of the Confederation of African Athletics and World Athletics. The Federation was founded in 1910 and currently based at the Sport Federati ...

and

Tala'ea El Gaish SC Tala'ea El Gaish Sporting Club ( ar, نادي طلائع الجيش الرياضي) (Translated: “Army Vanguard”), is an Egyptian sports club based in Cairo, Egypt. The club is mainly known for its professional football team, which curren ...

. However, she had to return to selling tissues on the street, as her father is a

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with minimal income, her athletic training was suspended during the

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, and their house was lost in a 2021 flood. She did manage to become the only one in her family to attend school. In early 2022, she entered her first race as a professional runner, sponsored by Tala'ea El Gaish SC, and again won first place. As of September 2022 she is continuing her primary education.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassan, Marwa Egyptian runners Living people 2004 births