Rising Moroccan Star Zakariya el Boubekraoui Shines in Spanish Athletics

Zakarya has been practicing athletics since the age of 14 and is fully living his passion for the discipline. "I’ve loved it since I was little, I feel free when I train and I like to win. For me, sport is like a religion," he told Heraldo. At 23 years old, the young Moroccan holds a recently obtained biology degree, and currently resides with his family in Calatayud where he works part-time as a gardener.

At the national level, Zakarya won the Zaragoza half-marathon on March 6 and participated in the Yebes-Valdeluz (Guadalajara) tournament where he finished fourth. He also won second place in the Langreo International 10K (Asturias) race. Internationally, he has won several races in Italy, France and Morocco.

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Zakarya trains every day. "Each week, I run between 100 and 120 kilometers," he explains, admitting that he likes Spain, but doesn’t know if he will settle there permanently. "Right now, I’m just passing through," he added, stating that he feels good in Rome where his aunt and father live and where he spends time with his friends and also for work. He is currently a member of the Calatayud athletics club created since 2012.

For Juanjo Ruiz, the club’s current president, "it is an honor that Zakariya has joined [our] club". "He is an athlete with many qualities and a great future," he said. The club also has a school that trains children in athletics and Zakarya passes on his passion for this discipline, which is widely practiced in Morocco.