Dubai’s thriving running community will be out in force on Friday as they seize the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best on their home turf.
And with three categories – full marathon, 10k and 3k – more than 20,000 runners are expected to take part. That number will include the members of the dozen or so running clubs who are a regular sight out pounding the streets of the emirate.
One particularly appetising aspect of the 2014 showpiece for competitive clubs and runners is the new faster ‘dream route’, which organisers hope will lead to more personal bests and maybe even a few records.
If’s there any club most eager to take advantage it is Dubai Creek Striders, who may have close to 100 members in the full marathon.
Marek Szymanek, DCS Chairman, said: “At our last training run we had around 200 runners and approximately 80-100 of those will be doing the marathon.
“We have a range of abilities, from social runners right through to elites who will finish anywhere from five hours to sub-three hours. It’s an exciting time of year for us as we’ve been training for the last five months and for many this is what we have been focusing on.
“Running the marathon as a Strider is great fun as you get so much support wearing the club vest. It’s a wonderful sense of achievement and we hope to see people come and support along Beach Road.”
Meanwhile, the Dubai Road Runners, who train out of Safa Park and Barsha Park each week, have had around 30 members following a weekly training plan over the last three months, with many eyeing personal bests.
“The event is a focal part of the season because it is the one marathon where so many local runners will be taking part,” says club administrator Graham Rafferty.
“It gives the opportunity to train together, race together and hopefully celebrate together afterwards.
“Some of our runners are going for sub-three hours, others four hours-plus. Our ages range from early 20s to 60-plus. For several it will be their first marathon.
“Each runner has had the opportunity to train with others of a similar pace. Training sessions feel less like hard work and more like a social gathering.”
Founded in Dubai in 2006 to help juniors and seniors improve their fitness as well as race times, one club that will definitely give a good showing this weekend is ABRaS AC, and chairlady Debbie Powell, also a prominent age group contender in the event, will be joined by 21 other members on the 42.2km course, while 26 will contest the 10k race.
"Many of us who are in the marathon have trained hard since September last year,” said Powell. “The Dubai Marathon and 10km is one of our A Class races and we as a team really get behind each other in the biggest race of the year in Dubai.”
GETTING INVOLVED
Rialyn Diaz
Executive Secretary, 32
"It’s been my dream to run a full marathon since I started being serious about running. I am running also to motivate people who think they can’t."
Benjamin Brodrick
Account Manager, 34
"My friend signed up for the 42k with no experience or training five weeks out from the marathon and life is all about challenges so I signed up to see what is possible with such little preparation too."
Claire Hill
PR Manager, 30
"I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the marathon last year so didn’t want to miss out this time. I’m just running for myself to see if I can beat my time from last year which was 4:02."
Reem Fekri
Publications Manager, 29
"This will be my 4th full marathon, and I just figured I should keep doing them if I’m physically able to. I’m also running for a charity in Syria."
Lee Ryan
Performance Coach, 30
"This has always been a special event in the UAE. The rich cultural diversity in this region seems to come together. It’s a great flat course to play with new targets and PB’s.
Tom Otton
Managing Director, 31
"I needed a new physical challenge, so I thought trying to go from a previous maximum run of 10k to a marathon distance in less than five weeks was a good one."
