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BERNE — The corruption scandal sweeping world football engulfed Germany as FIFA said Friday that it would investigate “very serious allegations” that voters were bribed to win the 2006 World Cup bid.

The latest claims of wrongdoing linked to football’s governing body broke as suspended President Sepp Blatter went public with his fight to get his FIFA ethics case thrown out.

Blatter may have deepened the prospect of a long ban by admitting there was only a “gentleman’s agreement” for the 2011 payment he authorised to UEFA President Michel Platini and which led to them both being suspended by FIFA last week after it emerged through a criminal investigation.

FIFA is attempting to contain the damage to the image of the world’s most popular sport by ramping up the scale of inquiries into alleged illegality. After 14 football officials were indicted in May by US authorities in a football bribery case, FIFA launched an internal investigation in an attempt to show it is committed to eradicating corruption.

The investigation will now include looking into a report in news magazine Der Spiegel that Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid committee established a slush fund of 10.3 million Swiss francs (then about $6 million) to bribe four of the 24 voters.

Franz Beckenbauer, the former Germany great who headed the bidding committee, and Wolfgang Niersbach, the current president of the German football federation (DFB), as well as other high-ranking football officials were aware of the slush fund by 2005 at the latest, the report claimed.

Former Adidas chief Robert Louis-Dreyfus, who died in 2009, provided the funding, according to Spiegel, and asked for the money — by then worth 6.7 million euros — back before the tournament began.

Spiegel reported that a cover was created with the help of FIFA and that 6.7 million euros were transferred to FIFA as a contribution to an opening ceremony gala that was later canceled.

“These are very serious allegations,” FIFA said in a statement. “They will be reviewed as part of the independent internal investigation currently being conducted by FIFA under the direction of its legal director with the assistance of outside counsel.”

No criminal authority has said it is investigating the latest allegations but FIFA’s statement stressed that it “continues to cooperate with the investigations of the US Department of Justice and the office of the Swiss attorney general”.

The German football federation insisted the report was “completely baseless” and said neither Niersbach nor the other members of the organising committee “were involved or could have known about such operations”.

The money was reportedly used to secure the backing of four Asian representatives in a vote already notorious due to a New Zealander abstaining. Germany defeated South Africa 12-11.

Charlie Dempsey, then the Oceania president, abstained despite being mandated to support the Nelson Mandela-backed South Africa bid in the final round. Dempsey said he received telephone threats from “influential European interests” the night before voting. He resigned from FIFA one week later and died in 2008.

It is far from the first FIFA vote to be suspected of foul play.

Former FIFA executive committee member Chuck Blazer admitted to US authorities he was involved in the facilitation of bribes in connection with the selection of the 1998 and 2010 hosts. And FIFA is still imposing sanctions as part of its investigation into the dual votes for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in 2010.

Russia, the 2018 host, and 2022 winner Qatar both deny wrongdoing.

Blatter has previously hinted at wrongdoing in the 2006 World Cup vote, but FIFA’s leader of 17 years has ethics problems of his own now.

The 79-year-old Swiss is a week into a 90-day suspension as the FIFA ethics committee investigates a payment to Platini of 2 million Swiss francs (about $2 million) which Blatter authorised in 2011. The lack of a written contract is at the heart of the case and Blatter confirmed that it did not exist.

Despite accused officials risking further sanctions if they discuss ethics cases in public, Blatter spoke out to deny illegality in his first television interview since being placed under criminal investigation last month.

Platini has said the money was unpaid additional salary from his job as Blatter’s adviser between 1998 and 2002 which FIFA could not afford to pay at the time.

“That was a contract I had with Platini, a gentleman’s agreement and that went through,” Blatter told Swiss broadcaster RROTV.

Blatter hopes to be cleared in time to preside over the emergency FIFA congress on February 26 when his successor will be chosen.

The case might have fatally damaged Platini’s bid to succeed Blatter, who announced he was quitting just four days after being voted in for a fifth term in May as the investigations into football officials escalated.

Platini lost England’s support for his FIFA presidential bid on Friday, signalling the first crack in the European unity behind the Frenchman that UEFA had sought to portray after the previous day’s meeting of member associations.

The English Football Association was unconvinced by the explanation they heard from Platini’s lawyer for the payment and suspended its backing until his legal “position is clear”.

That process could continue beyond the election and the FA is preparing the ground to back a new candidate.

Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalif, who endorsed Platini’s campaign in July, is considering submitting his candidacy before the October 26 deadline.

Two contenders filed their paperwork, including the required five federation nominations, this week.

Jordanian federation President HRH Prince Ali, who was backed by most European nations in the May election, is running again, while former Trinidad and Tobago captain David Nakhid is hoping his first role in FIFA is the top job.

AMMAN — Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah and French co-driver Matthieu Baumel edged into a slender two-second lead after the opening timed super special of the Jordan Rally, held in close proximity to the residential district of Abdoun in Amman, on Thursday, according to the Jordan Rally Media Service.

Needing just to finish the three-day rally to secure an 11th regional title in 13 years, Attiyah also has to err on the side of caution this weekend, because a date clash with a shooting competition means that he will miss the penultimate round of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship in the Sultanate of Oman at the start of November. 

“It was a nice location for the start, but a spectator stage is all about entertaining the spectators and not taking any risks,” said Al-Attiyah. “The rally really starts on Friday morning.”

Yazeed Al Rajhi finished third overall behind Attiyah and Vladimir Vasilyev in last week’s Rally of Morocco, but the Saudi missed the last three rounds of the Middle East rally series and has only 15 points earned in Kuwait to show for his regional special stage efforts this season. He and Ulster co-driver Michael Orr finished the opening stage in second place. 

Abdulaziz Al Kuwari suffered a major setback in the build up to the rally when his service vehicle was delayed at a border control. The Qatari’s pre-event preparations were badly disrupted as a result, but he posted an opening time of 2min 12.2sec and held third position. 

Khalid Al Suwaidi’s preparations were also disrupted and the Qatari duo will be hard pushed to continue over the remaining two days without sufficient spare parts for their Ford Fiesta RRCs. Suwaidi holds fourth.

Jordanian driver Husam Salem is the clear favourite to win Group N for the second year with co-driver Nancy Majali, and the Mitsubishi driver started well with the fastest time in the showroom category.

Qatar’s Rashid Al Naimi and Italian navigator Nicola Arena are hoping to take full advantage of the absence of some of their Group N championship rivals, and hold second in Group N and sixth overall — a mere two seconds behind their Jordanian rivals. 

HRH Prince Feisal, chairman of Jordan Motorsport, flagged the cars away from the Abdoun start in front of a bumper enthusiastic crowd, who had gathered to witness some of the region’s finest drivers start their three-day challenge for Jordanian supremacy. Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation president, and FIA vice-president for MENA, was also in attendance. 

With reverse seeding used for the ceremonial start, the Jordanian crew of Asem Aref and Moad Arja were the first off the start ramp in their colourful Fiat Stilo and posted the target time of 2min 53.9sec.

Equipment homologation issues forced the Jordanian crew of Lina Hadadi and Barkev Shadjan to leave the FIA category and join three other Group S entrants running at the tail end of the international rally. 

Teams will be jockeying for positions in 20 special stages in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea areas on Friday and Saturday.

DEAD SEA — The Jordan Rally, Round 6 of the 2015 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), kicks off on Thursday from the Abdoun area with the participation of 14 teams.

Considered as one of the most challenging rounds of the MERC, the event gets under way in Abdoun Circle from 2:30pm on Thursday with an afternoon of spectator friendly events followed by two days of dramatic action in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas. 

Middle East driving champion and winner of Jordan Rally 2014 Nasser Al Attiyah is currently seeking his 11th MERC title in his 13 years of driving to break the record registered by the UAE’s Mohammed Bin Suleim who had 60 wins regional wins while Attiyah has 58 under his wing.

Attiyah, who has won the 2015 Dakar Rally and the 2015 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup champions the Oilibya Rally of Morocco, is topping the standings with 100 points after Round 5.

Attiyah will face strong competition from Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed Al Rajhi and Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, while Jordan’s Maruf Abu Samra and Husam Salem will add to the pressure due to their extensive experience.

Al Rajhi, the first Saudi to be selected in 2008 by the UNICEF as the Goodwill ambassador in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, told The Jordan Times during his visit to the Al Ketab and Al Sonna Association where he presented a donation to the orphans that these types of visits are the responsibility of every person.

“I feel proud to be part of their life and as a Saudi citizen it gives me great pleasure to take on the responsibility of assisting the people who need support and care, especially orphans,” he said.

And regarding his participation in the Jordan Rally.

“The Jordan Rally has played a big part in my career and I still remember my first participation as if it was yesterday. I am ready to be part of it and I hope that I can do well and learn more,” he added.  

Meanwhile, Salem expects a tough ride and a huge challenge in the coming days.

“The Jordan Rally is never easy and the level of completion is always challenging, but we do what we are trained to do and that is to overcome the obstacles and hope for the best. We have a new and improved car and this should help our situation,” he said.

“The most important things is safety and we hope that everyone will be able to finish the rally without any incidents,” he added. 

Veteran driver and co-driver Nancy Majali, who has a long history in rallying since she started in 2000, said that time and practice improved and developed her and driver Salem’s skills.

“We are using a modified Mitsubishi Evo 9 instead of an Evo 8. Last year we came second among Jordanians and sixth overall and the first in Group N and I think we have a good chance to advance our position,” she said. 

Othman Nassif, CEO of Jordan Motorsport, told The Jordan Times that it will be a great event for all to enjoy.

“The event starts in Abdoun with a drivers Q&A session to make things more interesting, followed by a ceremonial start, then drivers will take on a specially created 2.2km route, also in the Abdoun area,” he said.

“On Friday things will heat up a bit with the coverage of 10 timed stages over 137km located within a stone’s throw of the Dead Sea Service Park. On Saturday, the region’s top drivers will tackle another 10 timed stages of 125km, which are also easily accessible,” he added. 

The Middle East Rally Championship includes the following countries: Dubai, Cyprus, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and Qatar.

AMMAN — While most eyes will be on Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah’s quest for an 11th FIA Middle East Rally Championship title in 13 years at this weekend’s Jordan Rally, there is a secondary battle going on under the radar for the Middle East’s prized Group N crown, according to the Jordan Rally Media Service.

Held in conjunction with the eight-round regional rally series and open to cars that are more reminiscent of those we see on our public highways, the Group N series has a strong following. Drivers are attracted by the availability of competitive cars, the lower budgets required to run a rally programme and a close level of competition.

Kuwaiti driver Salah Bin Eidan arrives in the Kingdom with a 30-point lead in the championship with three rallies to run — Jordan, Oman and Dubai. Eidan and American navigator Alex Gelsomino finished fifth overall in Jordan last season with a Ford Fiesta R5, but the Kuwaiti switched to a showroom category car for 2015 and teamed up with the Slovenian co-driver Vili Oslaj.

“The goal is obviously the championship title, but I know that a podium finish is possible here if some of the more powerful S2000 cars have problems,” said Bin Eidan. “We have had a good season so far and the target is a finish and more points on the board, but I would also like to finish as high as possible.”

Edith Weiss has been competing in the Middle East since the 1990s and is enjoying her best ever season. The Mitsubishi driver is a clear second in the points’ standings and will take the start of the Jordan Rally nine points in front of Qatar’s Rashid Al Naimi. A further point behind is the fourth-placed Kuwaiti driver Mishari Al Thafiri, who finished 10th overall in Jordan last year. These are the only four drivers who can realistically win the 2015 Group N Championship.

But several Jordanian drivers are present to upset the applecart.

Husam Salem teams up with Nancy Majali for a second year and will be hoping to retain his Group N crown in Jordan. Salem finished a superb sixth overall last season with his Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and a second maximum points score in 17 months could throw the title race wide open.

Marouf Abu Samra has enjoyed missed fortunes in recent Jordan rallies and had planned to compete at the Dead Sea with navigator Nicolas Fanous. But plans to run a new car were thwarted by late logistical delays.

Other local competitors capable of causing a Group N upset include Khaled Juma, Ihab Shorafa and the second female driver Lina Hadadi.

The event gets under way on Thursday afternoon with a full programme of activities, starting with the ceremonial start in Abdoun Circle from 2:30pm and the opening 2.5km spectator stage, starting at 4:30pm.

BEIJING — Novak Djokovic flew to the Shanghai Masters on Monday just hours after lifting his eighth trophy of the year in Beijing – and few look capable of stopping him grab title number nine this week.

A 6-2, 6-2 victory over long-time rival Rafael Nadal underlined the dominance of the world number one, who stretched his China Open winning streak to 29 matches without dropping a set.

Defending champion Roger Federer and Andy Murray await in China’s southeastern metropolis, in what is a challenge of a different order for Djokovic with an elite men’s field.

But the 10-time Grand Slam-winner is no stranger to success at Shanghai’s Qi Zhong Stadium, after claiming two Masters titles and the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup at the large venue on the city’s outskirts.

After a breathtaking China Open, when he lost only 18 games and extended his record to 9-0 in Chinese finals, Djokovic had no doubts about maintaining his level this week.

“Well, I’m hoping definitely. I know the conditions are slightly different. I’m going to get a couple days of rest and practice and get ready,” he said late on Sunday in Beijing.

“I mean, it’s not the first time I’m playing back-to-back weeks. Next week’s tournament is going to be even stronger because obviously all the best players in the world are there.

“This positive week definitely encourages me and gives me a lot of confidence for Shanghai.”

Favourite surface

Second seed Federer preferred not to dwell on a potential final against Djokovic, as he sizes up his half of the draw which includes Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Kei Nishikori and Stanislas Wawrinka.

“Playing in semis or finals doesn’t matter. Looks like you have to beat him at some stage the way he’s playing right now. If you play him in the semis or the finals, it doesn’t really matter,” said the Swiss.

“I don’t think that far ahead, to be quite honest.”

Britain’s Murray is returning from a nearly four-week break as he heads into a busy season’s end which will culminate in next month’s Davis Cup final against Belgium.

“I feel fresh. The positives of playing a lot of tennis, playing a lot of tournaments is your body gets used to playing matches. You feel confident because you played a lot,” said the Scot.

“If you don’t play matches for three or four weeks, the beginning of tournaments, it can always be a bit tricky. You don’t know exactly how you’re going to play, exactly how you’re going to feel. I feel fresh. That’s good. Mentally I feel fresh, which is good.”

Meanwhile Nadal will hope to shake off a right foot injury which slowed him in the Beijing final as he bids to recapture the sort of form which could trouble Djokovic.

“He’s the best today without any doubt,” he said after Sunday’s final. “When somebody’s playing like Novak, he’s very difficult to beat, especially on his favourite surface.”

AMMAN — There is just no stopping to rally legend Nasser Al Attiyah who is on his way to Jordan having clinched his second FIA World Cup for Cross Country Rallies in Morocco this weekend, according to the Jordan Rally Media Service.

And the Qatari has another big record to close in on during his trip to Jordan where he can not only secure his 11th FIA Middle East Rally Championship drivers crown but also come within one win of driving icon Mohammed Bin Sulayem’s record of 60 regional rally wins.

“The Jordan Rally has a special place in my heart and is definitely one of my favourite events of the year,” said Attiyah after winning in Morocco. “I spent four years schooling in Amman when my parents moved there and I have huge support so I can’t wait to compete next week.

“It is such a well organised rally and still enjoys the support from His Majesty King Abdullah and of course His Royal Highness Prince Feisal, who has worked hard to make the Jordan Rally one of the world’s best rallies.”

Attiyah only needs a top six finish to confirm his 11th title in 13 years but victory will move him on to 59 Middle East wins, just one away from the man who previously dominated the scene, Bin Sulayem.

“Records are there to be broken but it is not something I go out to do as I am just focused on trying to do my best in whichever race I am competing in,” he said.

Attiyah has been in stunning rallying form this season with regional wins in Qatar, Kuwait, Iran and Cyprus, and just one glitch in Lebanon where he crashed out early on.

He added that he will complete the season in Oman and UAE regardless of the result in Jordan, which is round six of the right-round series.

The Jordan Rally gets under next Thursday afternoon with a full programme of activity starting with the spectator event in Abdoun Circle from 2:30pm and then a thrills and spills 2.5km super special stage close by from 4:30pm.

Following that, fans will be treated to two days of top class rallying in and around the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas featuring 264.47 kilometres spread over 20 timed stages.

Stephan El Shaarawy ended a three-year drought by scoring the winning goal as Italy beat Azerbaijan 3-1 Saturday to qualify for next year’s European Championship.

After Eder’s opener and an equaliser from Dmitri Nazarov, El Shaarawy finished off a counterattack in the 43rd minute for his first national team goal since November 2012.

Manchester United’s Matteo Darmian added another for Italy in the second half.

“Now that we’ve qualified it might have seemed easy but there’s nothing easy,” said Italy coach Antonio Conte, who took over when Cesare Prandelli resigned after the Azzurri’s first-round elimination from last year’s World Cup.

“We’re improving,” Conte added. “Now we’ve got to continue like this, recuperate and honour the qualification by going to Rome and playing a good match against Norway.”

Norway took a big step towards qualifying for the tournament in France with a 2-0 win over Malta.

Alexander Tettey and Alexander Soderlund scored either side of halftime for Norway in Oslo.

Norway is seeking its second tournament appearance after exiting from the group stage in 2000.

Italy has 21 points in Group H, Norway is next with 19 and Croatia, which hosts Bulgaria later in an empty stadium, is third with 14. Bulgaria has eight points, Azerbaijan six and Malta two.

The top two finishers from the nine groups qualify automatically. The best third-place finisher also qualifies automatically, while the eight other third-place teams can reach the tournament through a play-off.

Norway is guaranteed at least a play-off spot, although Croatia holds the tiebreaker with a better head-to-head record.

Italy can secure first place against Norway in Rome on Tuesday.

Still, winning the group might not be enough for Italy to get a top seed in the Euro 2016 draw.

“Croatia is ahead of us in the FIFA rankings but we’re ahead in the UEFA rankings,” Conte said. “These are mechanisms that I have a hard time understanding.”

The Azzurri are under pressure to perform after getting eliminated from the group stage at the last two World Cups. Since winning the 2006 World Cup, Italy’s only highlight was reaching the final of Euro 2012.

On a rainy evening in Baku, Azerbaijan played its first match in the new Olimpiya Stadium, while Italy had to overcome the absence of injured playmaker Andrea Pirlo.

Eleven minutes in, Pirlo’s replacement Marco Verratti launched a long, vertical pass for Eder that gave the Brazilian-born forward plenty of room to glide past the defence and easily beat goalkeeper Kamran Agayev.

It was Eder’s second goal in five matches for Italy. He also has six goals in seven Serie A matches this season for Sampdoria.

Minutes later, Eder turned provider for Graziano Pelle, who shot on target and had Agayev tip his effort over the bar.

Just after the half-hour mark, a defensive lapse allowed Nazarov to score from the edge of the area, with Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci sharing the blame.

El Shaarawy restored Italy’s lead by redirecting a cross from Antonio Candreva into an empty net on a play that began with Pelle.

The son of an Egyptian father and an Italian mother, the 22-year old El Shaarawy has been hailed as one of Italy’s best young players for years but he struggled with injuries and confidence in recent seasons. After failing to make Italy’s squad for last year’s World Cup, El Shaarawy transferred from AC Milan to Monaco.

In the 61st minute, a lob effort from an outstanding Eder was cleared off the line by Azerbaijan captain Rashad Sadygov, who was celebrating his 100th national team appearance.

Four minutes later, Darmian got his first goal for Italy with a long, powerful effort after taking a loose ball beyond the area.

Azerbaijan defender Badavi Huseynov was shown a direct red card for a last-man foul on substitute Sebastian Giovinco in the 88th minute and Giovinco’s ensuing free kick hit the crossbar.

AMMAN — The 7th edition of the Samsung Amman Marathon concluded on Friday with the participation of more than 8,000 runners from around the world.

Ethiopia’s Tilahun Tarikuwon won the 42km men’s race after clocking 2h18m01s, followed by Kenya’s Henry Kibet (2h22m53s) and Jordan’s Yousef Khalaf (2h41m40s).

Sarah Kerubo of Kenya won the 42kn women’s race in 2h46m51s, followed by teammate Rebecca Tallam (2h53m08s) and Samah Al Najjar of Jordan (3h23m12s).

The event was held under the patronage of HH Prince Firas Bin Raad, who took part in the 10km race and handed trophies to winners, while thanking all those who made it possible and labelled the marathon a success both in terms of the level of participation and the organisational aspects.

Lina Al Kurd, vice director general of Run Jordan, told The Jordan Times that it was a very challenging event.

“The race was so challenging and interesting to all participants who tried to make it to the finish line. We are so happy to see this huge number of people participating in the marathon as a family event and sporting event at the same time,” she said.

“Local runners did well although marathon champion Mithqal Abbadi was absent due to other sporting event engagement,” she added.

According to Kurd, the marathon’s mission extends beyond competitive, touristic or health aspects as 20 per cent of the proceeds go to charitable associations across multiple sectors.

AMMAN — While most of the headlines building up to next week’s Jordan Rally will no doubt focus on Nasser Al Attiyah’s bid to win the Middle East Rally Championship, there’s a number of female participants hoping to make some news of their own, according to the Jordan Rally Media Service.

The Qatari needs just two points to clinch his 11th regional crown in 13 years, but away from the chase at the top are four ladies hoping to prove a point that rallying is a sport for all.

Drivers Lina Hadidi and Edith Wisse and co-drivers Nancy Majali and Marina Habaybeh are among a strong field of competitors who will take on the three-day event that gets under way at 2:30pm from Abdoun Circle on October 15 with an afternoon of spectator friendly events, followed by two days of dramatic action in the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley areas.

Hadidi has been receiving some strong advice from her mother who is a well-known face on the Middle East motorsport circuit.

“My mother — Abir Batikhi [former driver] — has been a strong supporter of mine,” said Hadidi, who is a medical student. “She has really encouraged me and helped me to prepare for my first Middle East Rally Championship event. I also have a very experienced co-driver in Barkev Shadian so I hope to do well and make an impact at the Jordan Rally.”

Meanwhile, Habaybeh will be co-driving for her father Raed Habaybeh to provide a strong family flavour in Group S.

“My father has built the car and we have prepared ourselves well,” she said. “I started co-driving for him last year and we have done a few events now. Doing a Middle East rally though is a big step up for me in my career, but I am looking forward to it.”

Also co-driving, the experienced Majali will be reading the notes for Jordan favourite Husam Salem for the fourth time at the Jordan Rally.

Majali made a name for herself initially as a driver after her debut in 2000, but is content to be playing a support role to Salem.

“This will be my 14th Jordan Rally as a whole and Husam is also experienced so we are hoping for a good result,” she said. 

“We finished sixth overall last year and second among Jordanians but we continue to push ourselves to improve our results.”

AMMAN — The Samsung Amman Marathon, the most popular running event in the Kingdom, kicks off on Friday with the participation of more than 12,000 runners in the 42km Marathon, the 21km Half Marathon and 10km Fun Run.

Lina Al Kurd, vice director general of Run Jordan, told The Jordan Times that Jordanian runners are ready to take on the best of the best in the marathon world.

“Although our champion Mithqal Abbadi, winner of last year’s 42km race, will be absent due to another sport engagement, we have faith in our runners who will take on the professional list of runners who are taking part in the event,” she said.

International runners will join the thousands of runners from Jordan and the Arab world.

“We are seeking to have a well-organised event in the presence of local and international runners and at the same time raise the level of awareness among the society about the benefits of sports especially running in daily life,” Kurd said.

“We have an impressive list of professional runners such as Asefa Diro Hunde from Ethiopia and Sarah Kerubo Kebaso from Kenya in addition to others,” she added.

Joining Hunde from Ethipia are Tilahun Ayele Tariku and Gedamnesh Mekuanent Yayeh, meanwhile, joining Kebaso from Kenya are Henry Kimutai Kibet and Rebecca Jerotich Talla.

Kenya’s Kebaso registered her personal best record in Cividale del Friuli Marathon with 2h37m25s in March 2015, while Henry Kimutai Kibet’s best personal record also in Cividale del Friuli Marathon was 2h15m13s.

“The tourism sector will also be a winner as these events encourage internal and external tourism and this is one of our goals to encourage tourism and a healthy lifestyle,” she said.

According to Kurd, more than 1,000 volunteers are taking part in the event.

“The marathon witnesses the largest number of volunteers who will make sure that everything is done according to a comprehensive plan set under the guidance of HH Prince Firas,” she stated.

The event is launched under the theme “Run to the Heart of the City of Amman” and will have a new route for the 10km Fun Run which will start at Princess Alia Street: Al Hussein Sports City-Gate #1, down to Arar Street ending at the finish line at the Hashemite Square - Gate #1.

Meanwhile, the 42km marathon will start from the front of the main building of the Greater Amman Municipality and end at the Roman Amphitheatre while the 21km run will start from Al Jayesh Street and end at the Roman Amphitheatre.