Running in Egypt
Probably the most challenging place, so far, to explore by foot. The cultural, language, and safety differences in this wonderful country made finding a way to run a puzzle I was eager to figure out. I am a 5ft, blonde, tiny, white, female so I had serious concerns for my safety. In a country with very different gender expectations I was not going to take any risks putting myself in a situation where I felt even slightly unsafe.
My biggest piece of advice is simply to run in a hotel gym, except when I was there COVID was in full swing so all the gyms were closed. Also, it is not a guarantee that the gyms will be up and running anyways. So I made do with what I could.
I would not recommend to run outside of your hotel especially in a big city like Cairo. If you come from a Western country the lifestyle and culture is just very different and better safe than sorry. I also never saw a single Egyptian running so I took note. In Cairo I ran primarily within the bounds of the hotel I was staying at. Running outside is just not an option even if you are solely considering road traffic. Driving is a very different experience and it is an every man for themselves kind of vibe so just don’t attempt it. While the hotel is not ideal, if you are like me and would rather have an awful run than nothing you’ll make do. The hotel I stayed at was the Oasis Pyramids Hotel Cairo. The hotel was gated, as most will be, and had a lot of paths winding throughout as well as a basketball court. The first day I decided to run on the court thinking it would be less weird but the constant turning was really hurting my ankles so I needed a different strategy. The following days I decided to just be that weird Western girl and ran around on the paths throughout the hotel and it was a much better experience. Was it the most fun? No, but it got the job done.
I promote safely running when you travel and especially for the women out there I will always share advice that is the safest option. I absolutely loved Cairo so my tone is not negative to the city just simply that you should consider all things and choose what is the safest.
Be very prepared for the weather because IT IS HOT! The heat in Egypt is absolutely no joke. Your skin will feel like it is melting so be prepared for that. If you find a hotel with a nice gym lucky you otherwise plan on having a shorter slower run.
The trip I took to Egypt was one that explored Cairo to Aswan via bus and boat so there was a lot of traveling which required creativity if I was going to get my run in. From Cairo we took a cruise down the Nile for a few days which had no gym but did have a large upper deck. So I was again the crazy girl running in the Egyptian heat. In the mornings I would run laps around the upper deck of the boat (much more enjoyable than the hotel). I got a lot of looks and weird comments from the guys on the boat but better there than on the streets. I would run about 3 miles in 113 degrees heat and I just made it happen. In this kind of heat I would do about 10 minute increments, pause drink some water and then do another 10 minutes. I have to run it is who I am so I made whatever adjustments I needed to in order to make running possible.
The one place I was able to run in a public space was in Hurghada and let me tell you I absolutely made the wrong choice venturing out of the hotel. It was not a smart decision. Hurghada is a more modern town where many Egyptians go for vacations because it sits right on the Red Sea. Because of this more modern feeling town I decided that running on the nicely paved paths very early in the morning might actually be possible. I started running at about 6am and thought I would have the streets all to myself and I did…for the most part. It was a good experience for about 10 minutes and nice to not just be running in circles but then I quickly had to snap back into the reality that I was in a very different world. First, dogs are everywhere in Egypt. Some are pets some are wild and there is no way to tell the difference but they are all over. On my run I passed a few dogs sleeping outside and they didn’t even notice me but on the way back they definitely took note. One started barking at me and started running at me. Luckily I’m always very aware of my surroundings and I picked up a large stick to hold while I ran and that pretty much kept the dog a good distance away although it was still following me. I’m absolutely a dog person but you never know and I wasn’t about to get rabies or attacked in Egypt. As I’m running by the dogs I notice a guy on a bike riding through the area and hope he’ll just let me by but oh yeah I’m white, blonde and small so no shot I’m being ignored. He started following me and chatting to me luckily though I see the hotel up ahead and just keep him talking until I’m in eyeshot of the security guard. I dart across the street and decide to finish my run on the hotel grounds. This hotel had a much larger area of land so running laps was not as tedious here plus the chances of being attacked by a dog or kidnapped are significantly lower. Based on my experiences I would not recommend running outside of safe spaces alone.
So here is my biggest advice and tips for running in Egypt, run in a hotel gym or in the confines of the hotel grounds. Better to be safe than sorry.
This is an article about running safely while you travel but I feel the need to note that I loved Egypt! It was an experience I never imagined I would have and it was unbelievable. I highly recommend that if you get the chance to see this incredible place just careful if you plan to run.
