It will take a marathon effort by many departments of the Government of Dubai to prepare for the city’s role in the athletics’ world spotlight next week, with more than 30,000 runners expected to take to the streets for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon.

An army of police personnel, RTA staff, Dubai Municipality teams and ambulance and health crews are already preparing to handle an event that covers over 42km of the streets of the UAE and which gets underway from Umm Suqeim Road on January 26.

To be held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and held under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is just one of many world-class sporting events staged in the city.