Fes Sports & Outdoors

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I'd highly recommend a run through the medina and up to Borj Sud. It was one of the highlights of my Moroccan trip. Seems like the round trip was about 10km, but you could probably shorten it a bit.

From my journal:

The next morning, our last day in Fès, we decided to say goodbye to the city by taking an early morning run through the medina to the Borj Sud, a fort high on a hill overlooking the city. It was early so the shops of the medina were closed and instead of the donkeys and crowds of shoppers, the narrow roads were mostly empty. Passersby gave us curious glances, surprised smiles and even an occasional “Allez! Allez!”

Opening our stride through the morning sun, a huge smile crossed my face. How cool was this? How many people get to do something as unusual as run through one of the world’s oldest and most famous medinas? The term “runner’s high” was invented for the feeling.

We exited the medina for the last time through Bab el-Marouk and climbed out of the city along a winding road, up the nearby hill, through olive groves, to a fort that overlooked Fès. From here we paused, breathing in the jumbles of sand-colored mud brick neighborhoods splashing up the hill surrounding the city. Many of the 300 mosques that beckon Fès’ faithful lay scattered liberally throughout the city, like little exclamation points. Standing in the warm sunlight we both agreed we’d thoroughly enjoyed Fès’ special charms and we regretted having to leave

Equipment: My female running partner wore a short sleeved shirt and no one seemed to mind.