noon, the Middle East’s homegrown online marketplace, caught up with Saudi Arabia’s first female running collective, the Riyadh Urban Runners (RUR), as part of the noon | women series, which continues to shed light on extraordinary women from this region.

RUR are a group of women who have taken hanging out with their besties to a whole new level. At their weekly meet-ups in the Kingdom’s capital city, RUR spend time getting their minds and bodies healthy through group running sessions.

Running at least once or twice a week all year round, RUR takes to the streets later in the evening in the hotter months, to avoid the scorching daytime temperatures. During cooler climes, the ladies raise their heart rates during the daytime, taking in the sights of their capital city as they pound the pavement.

Gearing up for a big run is easier for these ladies than hitting a local gym, since they just add trainers, RUR belts, Nike hijabs and wireless headphones to their traditional abayas and go.

The reaction to the collective has been resoundingly positive from both men and women. Ladies have been encouraged to join the weekly meet-ups, while gents often encourage them with words like, “keep going!” to the pack of runners. The team are looking to expand into other cities in KSA over the coming year and will also welcome a male-RUR group to Riyadh soon.

The noon | women series has been developed to shed light on the incredible female talent driving change across our region, by telling the stories of these unsung heroes.

As a customer-focused and Arabic-first e-commerce platform, noon brings a growing product assortment thanks to connections with the local retail community. noon presents a compelling alternative retail choice through its website or dedicated iOS and Android apps. — SG