Rahaf Khatib.

FARMINGTON— In a
marathon with hundreds of runners dashing to the finish line, Rahaf Khatib is
sure to stick out like a sore thumb.

The 31-year-old mother
of three proudly wears the hijab and participates in national marathons.

She recently entered
a nationwide contest to be featured on the cover of “Runner’s World”, a
magazine often used as a guide for training, nutrition and gear in the running
community.

Khatib currently sits
in eighth place in the contest, based on vote totals. The winning male and
female will be featured on individual covers of the magazine. Family and
friends can support candidates by voting until the contest closes on July 22.

From there, the top
100 vote-getters will battle in another window of voting that will take place
in August. Then the top 10 contestants will be selected for an interview
process and the winning male and female will grace the cover of the magazine.

“I hope to move
up to the top five,” Khatib told The Arab American News. “I want to
focus my energy on this because never before has a woman in a hijab won or been
featured on the cover of this magazine.”

Khatib certainly
meets the requirements to be the face of the running community. She has
participated in several full and half marathons in the last few years,
including the Detroit Free Press Marathon and the Bank of America Chicago
Marathon.

A full marathon is  26.2 miles, while a half marathon is a
13.1 miles. Khatib has also participated in several 5k (3.1 miles) and 10k (6.2
miles) marathons.

While Khatib is now
quite the seasoned runner, she didn’t discover her passion until recently.

Born in Damascus,
Syria, she came to the U.S. as a child. She was raised in Dearborn and attended
Wayne State University, where she obtained her bachelors degree in biology.
After she got married, she moved to Farmington Hills and raised her family.

Running as a hobby
came about in an unexpected way. Khatib’s son’s school had registered in the
Martian Marathon a few years ago, held annually at the Ford Field Park in
Dearborn. The school gym teacher persuaded her to participate in her first
race.

A few later, Khatib
had made running part of her lifestyle. She uses it to constantly stay fit and
motivated. 

“It’s your own
thing,” she said. “Your pace is your own business, as they say in the running
world. My ultimate goal in running a full marathon is to feel strong and
happy.”

Khatib said she
noticed she’s often the only woman in a headscarf when she’s participating in a
race. She’s hoping to send a message to local women in the community who are
interested in pursuing fitness, but may have some hesitation because of
cultural stigmas. 

Khatib’s appearance
has already made her the subject of several articles in local publications.

“I think it’s an
underrepresented sport,” she said. “Maybe some think they can’t do it
because they have to cover their body. I feel like wearing the hijab shouldn’t
stop you from doing what you love to do.”

Khatib said each
marathon requires her to undergo months of training beforehand. She’s already
preparing for the upcoming fall marathon in Chicago, sometimes waking up as
early as 6 a.m. to train for more than two hours.

She said not enough
Muslim women engage in such physical activity, which can lead to health
problems for them later in life.

“In our
religion, to stay active is one aspect that’s being ignored by a lot of Arab
Americans,” Khatib said. “It’s very important to stay active and fit.
I encourage Muslims to get out there more and pursue their passions. It doesn’t
have to be running… It can be kickboxing or any other sport.”

Ramadan doesn’t
appear to be slowing her down either. Khatib still trains during the holy
month, despite not being able to drink water or eat until sundown.

“I do run while
I’m fasting, but I don’t run more than an hour,” she said. “It’s a
little hard, but don’t do it if you’ve never run before.”

She noted that the
running community has welcomed her with open arms and that she’s made lasting
friendships with her running mates in the process.

“The running
community is completely positive,” Khatib said. “We share the same
passion— which is running. It makes you a happy and a confident person in
general. They have been completely welcoming to me.”

Her dedication has
also caused a domino effect in her own household. Both her husband and her son
have pursued running as a sport, following her lead.

“My family is
very positive about it,” Khatib said. “When they see my article in
the newspaper, they think I’ve already won. They see their parent is determined
and it encourages them. It makes me feel like I’m doing something for them in
return.”

While her entry in
the “Runner’s World” contest has thrust her into the spotlight, she noted that
she hopes it portray a positive image of Muslim women in America.

Khatib’s supporters
can read her “Runner’s World” profile and vote for her one time per day until July 22 at //coversearch.runnersworld.com/entry594.