JEDDAH: The Saudi Athletic Federation is organizing a first-of-its-kind cross-country running event in Jeddah at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium on Friday. The federation has invited individuals and teams to participate in the race, which is exclusively reserved for Saudi women and girls of all ages. The federation said there were still spaces to compete in the race, with registration available through links posted on its website and on social media. Roa Kattan, a member of the Technical Committee of the federation, said: “The race is dedicated for long distances and considered one of the athletic races, and in most countries, it is held in open places and on uneven terrain. This is the first time that the federation has held such a competition for women.” She added: “It is an official championship to encourage women to participate and discover Saudi girls who would be able to represent the Kingdom as individuals or in teams.” She continued saying: “We have received the applications of six teams and 87 female competitors and we hope to have more participants.” Saudi Arabia organized a marathon race for women in 2018, with thousands running in Al-Ahsa, in the east of the Kingdom.