NYRR Celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
April is National Arab American Heritage Month (NAAHM), a time to celebrate the rich heritage and history of Arab Americans and their contributions in the U.S. and beyond.
At NYRR, this month we look at Arab American and Arab representation in the running community and highlight the impact these athletes have had on the sport. Learn more about their accomplishments below and be inspired by their stories.
Sarah Attar
Sarah Attar is a Saudi American athlete who competed in the 2012 Olympics in track and field and the 2016 Olympics in the marathon. Sarah was one of the first woman Olympians representing Saudi Arabia. She was born and raised in the United States and has dual U.S. and Saudi Arabian citizenship.
Rahaf Khatib
Photo provided by Marathon Foto.Rahaf Khatib is an immigrant from Damascus, Syria who was the first Syrian to complete the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. Rahaf is a stay-at-home mom who uses her running to empower the community through advocating for healthy living while organizing local runs. Rahaf has raised funds for Syrian refugees through her running.
Amena Saad
Photo provided by Marathon Foto.Amena Saad is an Arab American runner who participated in the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon. Before the marathon, Amena was cropped out of a major clothing brand's media campaign, reportedly because of her identity and support for Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war.
Abdulla AlShehhi
Abdulla AlShehhi became the first Emerati to complete the six Abbott World Marathon Majors after finishing the 2024 Boston Marathon, representing his home country, the United Arab Emirates. Abdulla is an accomplished engineer, entrepreneur, and policymaker, and is part of the UAE Space Agency.
Parisa Arab
Parisa Arab is an Iranian American runner who has competed at events ranging from 1,500-meters to half marathons and holds Iranian national records in the 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000-meter yet she said, “Hardly anyone knows me due to public media policies in Iran.” Parisa was part of the San Francisco Marathon’s Runner Spotlight series last summer as a featured 10K runner.
Jaouad Gharib
Jaouad Gharib is a Moroccan long-distance runner who won the silver medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics marathon. Jaouad won the 2003 and 2005 World Championships marathons. He’s also run the Chicago, London, and New York City marathons, finishing in the top three in all races.
Manal Rostom
Photo provided by Marathon Foto.Manal Rostom is a runner, health and fitness brand ambassador, and the first Egyptian woman to climb Mount Everest and to complete the six Abbott World Marathon Majors. Manal is also the founder of the online community Surviving Hijab to provide a safe space for women to discuss their experiences being a woman in a Muslim culture and choosing to don the hijab.