A symbolic marathon will link Targuist to Tamassint on September 27, 2025, organized by the Habiba & Ahmed Foundation with support from the Rif Memory Association. More than just a sporting event, it is a collective initiative that blends remembrance with action, aiming to spread a message of peace and reinforce the bonds between generations of migrants from Morocco and Belgium. If walking frees the voice and running clears the mind, then a marathon is the ultimate symbol of a dynamic, collective initiative rooted in remembrance and carrying a message of peace. This is exactly what Kenza Isnasni, founder of the Habiba & Ahmed Foundation, hopes to achieve with the first edition of a marathon she is organizing on September 27, 2025, from Targuist to Tamassint. Proudly honoring her Rif heritage, Isnasni has chosen as the finish line the village where her parents are buried, victims of a racist murder on May 7, 2002, in Schaerbeek, Brussels. The countdown has already begun for this commemorative sporting event, which will unfold in ten days over a forty-two-kilometer course. In an interview with Yabiladi, Kenza Isnasni explained that the project is profoundly personal and has been months in the making. «It's all symbolic, in tribute to my parents, and through this, we wanted it to be a tribute to all our immigrant parents and grandparents. It's also an awareness campaign within our memory work framework, so we don't forget the sacrifices of our ancestors who left their homeland to work elsewhere», she stressed. Preparing for the marathon has been both a physical and mental journey for Isnasni, who will be running her very first race of this kind. «This is a first edition. Therefore, three of us are participating, along with marathon runner Bilel Kaabouni and my physical trainer, Anouar. With the Habiba & Ahmed Foundation, we are sponsored by the Memory of the Rif association, and in this regard, Mourad El Hankari has been a great support», the activist said. «Besides that, we have drawn from our personal resources and own funds to make this project possible. It's an initiative dedicated to our parents and grandparents, to those who worked hard far from their homeland, from their villages, crossing the Mediterranean with heavy hearts but full of hope». The symbolic race as memory work For this first edition, Isnasni will not be alone. She will run alongside marathoner Bilel Kaabouni, who has already completed seven marathons. «I had the idea of making a long trek across the Rif, from Tetouan to Tafersit. As I exchanged ideas with Kenza, the idea emerged to connect Targuist to Tamassint, the village where her parents are buried», he told Yabiladi. A seasoned runner, Kaabouni discovered his passion for marathons after completing a solo circuit in London. Since then, he has taken part in several races, mainly in England and Belgium. The Targuist–Tamassint run, however, will be a first: his debut in an associative context. «I want to participate to support the initiative, especially since many ties unite us. Our parents' generation comes from the Rif, and it's also an opportunity for me to honor mine, for the sacrifices they made throughout their migratory journey to secure a better future for us». Kenza Isnasni and her companions are thus embarking on an adventure that weaves together intergenerational bonds, the migratory journey, memory work, and a message of peace, all embodied in the spirit of a marathon. A race where each runs at their own rhythm, but one in which the ultimate goal is reached together.
