How a club prepares Muslims who fast for the London Marathon

Every year, tens of thousands of people put on their running shoes to participate in the 26-mile-long London Marathon.

Participants start the run from Greenwich Park and pass by iconic landmarks such as The Tower of London and Big Ben before the marathon concludes in front of Buckingham Palace. Many Muslims are among them.

The event is scheduled for April 21 but running enthusiasts started practising weeks ago.

For the past couple of years, the marathon season has coincided with Ramadan, the month when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. To train while fasting has become a challenge.

“The motivation is lacking because one's body often feels weak,” says Shazmeen, a 33-year-old doctor, explaining how difficult it is to prepare for the marathon.

But now one organisation - Ramadan Tent Project - wants to make things easier for Muslim runners.

With its Ramadan Run Club, it is bringing people who fast together so they back each other up with emotional support.

“In my other running clubs, not everyone is fasting, so I end up running at a slower pace. However, having a supportive space like this where everyone cheers each other on, and everyone is in the same boat, fasting together, makes a significant difference,” says Shazmeen.

“You can't simply use fasting as an excuse for feeling weak because everyone else is fasting alongside you.”

Finding the right time

Cultural taboos and the fear of getting dehydrated stop people from undertaking physically exhausting exercises during Ramadan.

Ramadan Run Club was born to sidestep this issue, says Bilal Hussain, the project lead.

During Ramadan, Muslim runners often found themselves training at unusual times. They would train after the night prayers, before dawn meals, before breaking their fast, or between iftar meals and the night prayer.

“At such odd times, these runs have sometimes been described as lonely and demotivating, especially if you’re used to running with a group or a club,” Hussain tells TRT World.

At the club, participants from diverse backgrounds come together. They include first-time runners, parents making a run post-pregnancy or those trying the marathon in Ramadan for the first time.

"For the past ten years before this one, I hardly engaged in any physical activity during Ramadan because I felt lazy and thought it wasn't feasible,” says Youness, a 30-year-old member of the club.

“Now, even though we don't run long distances, I can feel that my body is energised, and it also enhances my spiritual connection.”

Experts suggest that people who fast should keep their exercise routine light and brief like walking, Pilates, or yoga.

Taking a month-long break from exercise doesn't necessarily cause muscle cells to disappear, but it can lead to a reduction in their size.

As building muscle mass during Ramadan poses a challenge, individuals should maintain their current state rather than trying to increase it, experts say.

The key lies in the importance of persisting with exercise during workouts to prevent muscle loss, says Afra Guner, a physiotherapist and trainer.

“These activities are best done 1-2 hours before suhoor (pre-dawn meal) or iftar (breaking of fast). After iftar, individuals can continue the same exercise routine or high-intensity exercises and weight training can be incorporated,” she tells TRT World.

Comprehensive well-being

Some participants of the Ramadan Run Club say they had never considered running during Ramadan, but the club's inclusive invitation prompted them to give it a try.

During Ramadan, the runs occur weekly and cover approximately 5 kilometres each. Starting and ending at an Open Iftar event, a cornerstone community event by RTP held at various public venues across the UK, the route changes every time, exploring different parts of London.

“The aim is to create a free, community "social run" — not a race! — where attendees have the chance to chat with each other and meet new people,” says Bilal.

And this, in turn, helps work towards the goal of "turning strangers into friends," a motto that lies at the heart of the 11-year-old Ramadan Tent Project.

Trainer Guner recommends avoiding long runs of 15-20 kilometres while fasting.

“Instead, aim to keep the intensity and severity of the workout at a normal level, reducing it as much as possible, and continue with frequent exercises in your regular routine,” she says.

Maintaining and integrating workout routines into the Ramadan schedule will help Muslims conclude the month with greater spiritual satisfaction, experts say.

At the same time, it's important to remember that Ramadan is centred on cultivating mindfulness and spiritual nourishment and the goal is not to achieve any physical milestone or achievement, says Bilal.

“Instead, the focus is on spiritual growth, and maintaining a regular exercise routine can contribute to building a healthy, mindful, and spiritually fit community, enabling individuals to better focus on their fasting, prayers, and acts of charity.”