About Us

Iqraa (Read) is a running group dedicated to supporting education for Palestinian youth. We are an all-volunteer group.

Iqraa runners commit to fund-raising for education projects selected by our NGO partner, United Palestinian Appeal. We provide guaranteed entry for the Marine Corps Marathon. Runners participate in a training program provided by Marathon Charity Partners and its coaches in Washington, DC. The program culminates with the participation of Iqraa runners in the Marine Corps Marathon or Baltimore Running Festival half-marathon in October.

History

Iqraa was founded in early 2008. Our inaugural year was a big success, with 17 runners raising $33,900 for education with help from the Friends of Iqraa group. Read more about Iqraa's first year here. 

Training

Team Iqraa participates in comprehensive training developed by experienced coaches in the Marathon Charity Partners, a network of like-minded charities. Whether you run a full or half-marathon, our training plan will boost you to your individual goals.

Benefits include:

• Five month (May through October) training program
• Meet new friends and run with them twice a week, including a long Saturday run
• Numerous seminars, including nutrition, equipment and injury prevention
• Train on various easily-accessible scenic trails in the DC metro area

This program balances appropriate mileage and recovery time with practice races and nutritional support. With the help of our experienced mentors and the expert coaching, the MCP training will ensure that you can finish what you start. And you'll have fun along the way!