Nov 01, 2026

Campus Tradition Brings 5Km Walkers to the Finish Line Again

On Saturday, October 31st, 2026, students walked side by side with faculty and university leaders on the same 5Km path inside the KFUPM campus. The entire community, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and family members joined the men’s edition of the annual 5K Walk for Health. All 1,316 participants who completed the course received a finisher medal in recognition of their effort.

Organized by the Physical Education Department in the College of General Studies, under the patronage of KFUPM President Dr. Muhammad Al-Saggaf, the walk brought every participant small tokens of appreciation, such as T-shirts and caps, along with the customary race bib displaying their participant number. The occasion gave people who usually meet in classrooms or offices a chance to spend time together on foot, while inviting family members to also take part in this university tradition.

Community interest was evident well before the walk. Total online registrations were 2265 which included 722 master’s and Ph.D. students, 693 preparatory year students, and 504 college students. Those aged 16–25 accounted for the largest number of online registrations at 1,381, followed by 630 registrants aged 26–35.

Among those who took part were Dr. Mesfer Al Zahrani, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Wail Sulaiman Fallatah, Dean of the College of General Studies. In their closing remarks, both expressed pride in KFUPM’s first-place ranking in the 2026 Saudi Universities Activity Indicator, which named it the most active university in the Kingdom this year and last year. The Walk for Health offers one example of how KFUPM makes physical activity part of campus life. Each year, it gives students and employees an occasion to set aside time for exercise and opens that opportunity to the community around them.