The world’s largest free fun run and one of the key highlights of Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC), Dubai Run, presented by Mai Dubai,  will take over the iconic Sheikh Zayed Road on 20 November. Runners of all ages and fitness abilities are invited to register and challenge themselves to go the distance.

The fourth edition of Dubai Run will see tens of thousands of people take to the city’s giant running track with two routes to choose from: the 5km route, suitable for families and runners of all abilities, or the 10km route for more experienced runners. Both routes start near the Museum of the Future on Sheikh Zayed Road. The 5km route passes by Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and Burj Khalifa, and is very flat – making it ideal for social runners and families with children. The 10km route follows Sheikh Zayed Road to the Dubai Canal, then returns towards the Trade Centre before ending on Al Mustaqbal Street near DIFC. A longer route, it’s better suited to more experienced runners.

A Dubai Fitness Challenge flagship event, Dubai Run is aligned with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to transform Dubai into one of the world’s most active cities and the broader vision to make Dubai the world’s best city to live in, work and visit.

A total of 146,000 runners, joggers, wheelers and walkers participated in Dubai Run last year, setting a record for the number of participants and making it the largest community fitness event in the world.  This year, even greater numbers are expected to join and there will plenty of opportunities for everyone to get ready and train – including a family friendly Halloween run at Dubai Festival City on 29 October, the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon on 30 October, Expo CIty Dubai Run on 12 November and the Dubai Women’s Run  on 13 November to name a few.

Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment said: “Dubai Run is the perfect example of everything the Dubai Fitness Challenge represents; one community coming together for a fitter future for all. Running on Sheikh Zayed Road and around Dubai’s famous landmarks is a once-a-year chance that everyone should seize regardless of age or running prowess, as together we showcase Dubai as one of the most active cities in the world. I’m looking forward to seeing residents, and visitors at the starting line on 20 November.”

His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said: ” Over the past few years we’ve seen the numbers of participants in Dubai Run grow significantly, reaching 146,000 last year. This is a truly remarkable achievement that demonstrates Dubai’s unquestionable spirit and ability to achieve. The annual calendar of activities for Dubai Fitness Challenge now includes the Dubai Run as a flagship event that welcomes fitness lovers of all ages and abilities as well as professional and amateur runners. I encourage everyone to get out there and join us on 20 November and move Dubai one step closer to ranking among the world’s most active cities.”

Alexander van ’t Riet, CEO of Mai Dubai, said: “It gives us great pride to be partnering with Dubai Run once again. This inspirational community event plays a key role in motivating and encouraging people to take action towards a healthier lifestyle. Through this partnership, Mai Dubai supports Dubai’s goal to inspire everyone to develop a fitness-focused mindset and seek healthier, active lifestyles. Throughout the event, we will provide water at various event sites and used bottles will be collected to be recycled in collaboration with our business partner DGrade – for comparison, last year we managed to collect back 85%+ of the bottles we have sampled and successfully recycled into T-shirts and bags.’”

Mohamed Bodiat, Senior Vice President Brands – Sports,  GMG said: “As one of the most anticipated events on the DFC calendar, Sun and Sand Sports, part of GMG, is thrilled to be supporting Dubai Run for the second time in a row, as part of our three-year strategic partnership with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE). In line with GMG’s vision to enable a more active lifestyle, we are dedicated to playing our part in the UAE’s goal of fostering healthy communities.”

This year, Dubai Fitness Challenge will see its biggest line-up to date, with an exhilarating month of fun and inclusive fitness activities across two fitness villages:  DP World Kite Beach Fitness Village, and RTA Last Exit Al Khawaneej Fitness Village, 20 community fitness hubs,a host of sporting events and thousands of free classes taking places all over the city.

Dubai Run is organised by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and Dubai Sports Council; with presenting partner Mai Dubai; Association Partners Sun and Sand Sports, Etisalat by E&, Fitbit, and Emaar; Official Partners Arabian Automobiles Co, and Emirates Airline; Media Partner Arabian Radio Network (ARN); and Government Partners Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services, Event Security Committee, Dubai Police, and Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) .

Register now for Dubai Run on www.dubairun.com/register/