Courir pour le Plaisir - Mass Race (© IAAF)
The Association for Moroccan Sport and Development (AMSD), which is presided over by 1984 Olympic champion Nawal El Moutawakel, who is a member of the IOC and of the Council of the IAAF, will hold the 8th edition of the women’s only run, "Courir pour le plaisir" (Run for Fun) on 21 May 2006 in Casablanca.
However, this year the race which attracts women of all ages has joined-up with a similar women’s only race in the French capital, Paris, called "La Parisienne", with the two organisations due to sign a formal accord of cooperation this month.
The signing will take place between the two races on 13 April in the l'hôtel de ville de Paris (City Hall) in the presence of the Mayors of both cities, Bertrand Delanoë (Paris) and Mohamed Sajid (Casablanca), and the two heads of the race organisations, Patrick Aknin (La Parisienne) and Nawal El Moutawakel (Courir pour le plaisir).
The accord hopes to cement the growing international flavour of the Casablanca race and help it profit from the experience of the Paris race which is 10 years old.
AMSD have recently also signed a convention with the Moroccan association to fight aids and this eighth edition of Courir Pour le Plaisir will aim to further increase awareness in the fight against the AIDS disease.
More than 20,000 young women and girls from all social backgrounds will take part in the Casablanca race which is the most important event of its kind in the Arab-African world.
Mohammed Benchrif for the IAAF