The First European Saudi Runners Reunion
- Community
- Annuitants & Former ExPats
Author: Teresa and Ian Wilson
Released 22 July 2006
Saad Track Club organizer Ian G. Wilson leads Runners Group
Photograph Contributed by Teresa Wilson
The idea of having a runner's reunion in Ireland first surfaced about a year and a half ago when in Dublin, a number of former runners from Dhahran were celebrating a surprise birthday party. The party included guests who had not seen each other for many years and we realized what a wonderful event a reunion would be if we could just pull it all together, and that is exactly what we did.
The reunion was organized to take place in Galway City, Ireland. The SAS Radisson Hotel was the venue for most of our formal functions and became our base for the four days we spent in Galway. The manager Tom Flanagan and the hospitality department head Larry Kavanagh both worked in the SAS Radisson Diplomat Hotel in Bahrain, so we had the contacts and they both understood how we operate. The SAS Radisson Diplomat in Bahrain is where we hold all our running functions, so we literally moved from Bahrain to Galway and brought everyone with us! Tom, Larry, James Dilleen, Ferran Brufau and the rest of the hotel staff made sure the weekend went off without a hitch and everything was done to the highest standard. We are very grateful to all the SAS Radisson staff for their efforts, and after the weekend, the CEO of the SAS Radisson group Mr. Kurt Ritter was personally complimented for the efforts that the hotel carried out on our behalf.
The weekend started for those that arrived from the Middle East or other parts of the world on a Thursday with a small gathering in a well known pub in Galway. There was great fun and laughter as people started to recognize each other and very quickly all the years fell away.
Mazen I. Snobar
Photograph Contributed by Teresa Wilson
For those that arrived on Friday, we had two meeting places organized. One was a pub in town for lunch and the other, our first formal gathering in the SAS Radisson. The Friday night event was sponsored by Saudi Aramco and present to open the celebrations was Mr. Mazen Snobar. Mr. Snobar is the Executive Director of Community Services in Saudi Aramco and a long time member of the running club. Mazen began his running with KFUPM in the late seventies. He hosted the event on behalf of Mr. Mustafa A. Jalali, vise president of Saudi Aramco Affairs. There were approximatly 120 people for this event. We put together a quiz which was handed out to all. All questions asked were about runners and events over the years and for every question there was someone in the room that knew the answer. This was a great way of getting people to mix and talk.
On Saturday afternoon Ian organized a track team race which consisted of approx 50 runners and 6 time keepers. The runners were divided into teams of seven with the objective being to see which team completed the marathon distance first. Each runner ran 15 X 400m laps. There were a total of 6 timers, one for each team. The individual runner’s times were logged and the overall cumulative time calculated. The winning team crossed the line in 1:55:12, meaning the team averaged 1:06 for the 105 laps they ran. The race was extremely successful in that it brought out the old team spirit where everyone supported runners on the track, encouraging the slower runners as well as those that are fit and fast! It brought the group together in the way that only sport can.
After a healthy afternoon we all headed back to the Radisson for the Gala Dinner and Dance. Mr. Maan Al-Sanea from the SAAD group sponsored the track event and the Saturday Gala night function. Once again the hotel put on a wonderful dinner and with approximately 130 guests everyone continued to socialize and have fun. There was a big difference in watching people running around the track in the afternoon and then seeing them all in dinner suits and evening dresses in the evening. The highlight of the evening was presenting the prizes for the quiz winners (from Friday night) who were Bob Orlowski and Mairin Conneely. As it happens both are still working in Saudi, Mairin with the Saudi Aramco Medical Department and Bob with British Aerospace. Saturday night finished up in flying form – with the faithful few remaining on the dance floor till the last minute, and then departing for the local night club.
Sunday morning a few people managed to wake early and have their long run, the rest rose at a later time of 8:00 a.m. for breakfast then at 9:00 a.m., met at the Radisson and were taken by bus to the ferry for a trip to one of the Aran Islands, Inis Mor. On arrival on the island, each person received a bicycle, their mode of transport for the day. Some were a little rusty at first but it is true what they say, it’s like riding a bike, you never forget! For those that were a little nervous we managed to hire tandems. The island is full of history and culture and with the weather holding out, lots of places to stop for refreshments on route, and a tour guide explaining the history of the most famous sites, everyone in the party enjoyed themselves thoroughly. That is really saying something considering England was playing in the world cup that day and the lads were missing the match. But as they say, with the luck of the Irish on our side, the ferry crew managed to show the first half of the match on our return journey which was an added bonus for our group. Not only that, but we also reached Galway and managed to catch the last of the air show from our premium seats – the bus. On arrival back to the hotel the group headed straight for the bar where they saw the final twenty minutes of the game and relaxed for the rest of the evening.
That left the next morning to meet and say final farewells. The mood was somber as you would expect after a weekend filled with fun, racing and reminiscing. Telephone numbers, addresses and emails were exchanged and promises made not to leave it so long before meeting up again. The weekend proved that life in Saudi has given us all a sense of belonging together. Friends become family and no matter how long since you last saw them, you just start where you left off. After getting over the additional grey hairs and the extra few pounds, we were right back in Saudi and time was forgotten. Even those that were meeting for the first time had the experience of Saudi in common, so they immediately slotted into the family.
There was also an additional surprise for us when we returned to Dublin as we had a call from the Saudi Embassy in London who had invited us to meet with the UK Saudi Arabian Ambassador, HRH Prince Mohammad Bin Nawaf Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. He read the article published in the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper and was touched by the positive image in which Saudi was promoted by the reunion weekend. It was a great privilege for us to meet HRH Prince Mohammad and he assured us that we will have his full support when we start planning our next reunion – so be ready and keep watch for the details.