World champion track and field athlete Mutaz Essa Barshim flagged off over 6,000 runners at the starting line of We Run Dubai near the Burj Khalifa yesterday morning.
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The race, which was held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and the Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, kicked off at 07:30 and took in the downtown and Dubai International Financial Center neighbourhoods.
Barshim cheered on the runners at the start line and later handed out medals to the first few winners as they crossed the finish line.
“The atmosphere was fantastic; there was so much positive energy with all the participants motivating each other every step of the race,” Barshim said.
“To see so many people from all ages and walks of life pushing themselves after weeks of training is something truly inspiring.”
We Run Dubai is part of the global Nike We Run series held in 14 cities across Europe, Latin America and Asia and ranging in distances from 7km to a full marathon.
Hosted for the second time in Dubai and tailored to each individual host city, We Run races this year will reach more than 140,000 runners worldwide.
With the Burj Khalifa as their backdrop, thousands of athletes completed the mission and celebrated their achievements at a post-race gathering at the race village.
“We are so excited to see the running boom gain momentum in a city as vibrant as Dubai,” said Robert Bock, Nike’s brand manager for Central and Eastern Europe.
“These runners have embraced running as an integral part of their lives, that’s why Nike had made sure to provide them with everything they needed for their training journey from latest footwear and apparel innovations in addition to the motivation they needed.”
Mohamed Baker, deputy chairman and CEO at Sun and Sand Sports, Nike’s official distributor in the Middle East, added: “We are very excited to see the rise of running in the region.
“Over the past few years, Dubai has emerged as a city that is great for runners with ample places to train and races to run.”
“In fast-paced Dubai, runners demand more than just a typical race. They expect new challenges that will push their boundaries and test their limits.”
Participants took part in a four-week personalised training programme combining physical and digital experiences leading up to the races.
The journey included the Dawn Runners Series which invited runners to partake in training runs in iconic city neighbourhoods.
Nike hosted these runs at 05:00 every Friday in the four weeks leading up to We Run Dubai with the aim of getting everyone ready for the race.
The runs varied in distance from 5km to 8km, accommodating runners at all levels.
Digitally, runners have been able to get more out of each run by tracking their time, distance and pace using Nike’s training apps for smartphones