The first marathon race in the winding paths of the iconic Abr (Cloud) Forest in Semnan Province was held on Thursday with the attendance of 110 Iranian and foreign runners. First of its kind in Iran both in terms of prominence and size, the match was organized in two sections of 21km and 42km routes, Hamidreza Hassani, head of the provincial office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, said. "Besides the officials from the Italy-based World Running Academy, including Paolo Barghini, the academy's director who took part in the event, the presence of two foreign runners, an Italian Guinness record owner Paolo Venturini and an African athlete unexpectedly raised the profile of the match," the official said. The sport and recreational event was aimed at introducing the breathtaking natural area and promoting environmental preservation standards, Hassani noted. The Department of Environment and the Forests, Range and Watershed Management Organization have played their share in holding the event to ensure a quality and eco-friendly marathon with the least amount of harm to the hosting areas.
