The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Now more than ever, Egypt has begun to embrace the idea of healthy living – something that, just fifteen years ago or so, seemed ridiculous.

We can sit here all day and hypothesize as to why; greater accessibility to healthy foods and health-conscious restaurants rapidly increasing in numbers is an obvious one that Cairo 360 is all too familiar with. But a possibly bigger reason is the number of health groups and initiatives outside the usual confines of a gym – one of which is the EL FIT Fitness Challenge, powered by Reebok, which is set to return for its second season.

Fuelled by a cocktail of greater awareness of health and a seemingly newfound yearning for competitiveness, the EL FIT Fitness Challenge is already a huge date on every fitness freak’s calendar. People often talk about the average Cairene’s love of sport, but for the majority of those, that love rarely breaks through the TV screen. What EL FIT has done is utilise the new wave of healthy-living and added a very heavy dose of fun.

This edition of the challenge has expanded with a new qualification system across six categories, opening up the competition to even more athletes; male open ( 16-34 year olds), female open (16+ year olds), male masters 1 (35-45 year olds) and male masters 2 (45+ year olds), as well as male teams and mixed teams.

The challenges range across everything from deadlifting, to med ball runs, to the dreaded ‘10 Motions’ challenge, so this certainly isn’t for the weak of heart.  

After the qualification rounds in October, the entrees will be sieved down to the absolute best few, who will then go on to the finals in November. Said finals will stretch over two days, with a special fitness expo and a host of mini-challenges also awaiting attendees and athletes.

With over 1000 athletes expected to register, and a further 4000 expected to attend the finals this is set to be one of the biggest fitness events Egypt has ever seen.

Stay tuned for more details and coverage on Cairo 360 – in the meantime, check out the official EL FIT Facebook page and, if you’re feeling brave, maybe even register.