The Organizing Committee for the "Standard Chartered Dubai" marathon yesterday revealed the participation of more than 30 thousand participants in the 21st edition of the International Marathon, which will be held tomorrow, Friday in Jumeirah.
The list of participants is led by 30 heroes who have been crowned with previous titles in various marathon championships around the world, led by the Ethiopian duo, sprinter Soloman Dixisa and his citizen Rikensh Degheva, who represent the elite of the world's elite runners. The organizing committee held a press conference to highlight the 21st edition, which is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of the Dubai Sports Council.
“We are proud to continue to support the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon, which has completed 20 years of success to be one of the fastest and strongest 10 races in the world,” said Saeed Harib, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council. He added: “One of the distinguishing factors in this year's race is that it will be held in 2020, the special year for the UAE and Dubai in particular, as it coincides with the launch of Expo 2020 events, and the marathon embodies a model of tolerance, being the largest sporting event that attracts thousands of runners from Emiratis, residents and from outside the state ».
Saeed Hareb continued: “One of the most important factors in the success of the marathon was that it was associated with the name of Dubai, which is one of the most important international cities in terms of coexistence of members of society, and is characterized by the planning of streets and the cultural and cultural monuments that it includes, and the continuity of the marathon all these years is evidence of its importance and global standing.”
He explained that «the marathon has witnessed throughout its history the participation of 250,000 runners from 150 countries since its inception in 2000, and we hope this year that we will witness greater participation of Emirati runners thanks to the pioneering initiative launched by (Dubai Holding), the main sponsor of the marathon under the name (Madinati Sebaki), as we hope That the race witnesses more competitive levels, and our ambition is to reach 50 thousand participants. ” It is reported that the registration for the marathon will be closed today, as the number of participants is expected to increase.
He concluded: «The media coverage of the event, which will be broadcast through many international channels to reach all continents of the world, will highlight the wonderful aesthetic image of Dubai, where the race is going through one of the most beautiful streets on the global level, which is Jumeirah Street, which enhances the gains that we mean by organizing this giant event ».
Al Kamali: Dubai Marathon is one of the best in the world
The general coordinator of the Dubai Marathon, Khaled Kamali, said that the race is achieving continuous success year after year, noting that "it has become one of the best races in the world, because the event is linked to the name of Dubai and the efforts of all parties to support it."
He added in a press statement: "The marathon has come a long way, whether in terms of organization or artistic success, as well as preparing the participants to turn it into an annual sporting festival for Dana and its guests." He explained: "We are keen every year for everyone to participate in this festival, so there will be three races: the president for a distance of 42,195 km, and the mass race for amateurs, and the third for families and children."
30% increase in the participation of citizens in the race
The managing director of the Dubai Holding group, Khaled Al-Malik, revealed that the participation of citizens in the race increased by 30%, thanks to the launch of the Emirati Runners Award.
He added in a press statement: The 2020 edition will witness an unprecedented number of participation, thanks to the launch of the "Madinaty Sebaqi" campaign, which contributed greatly to the spread of sports awareness among citizens.
He added: «Dubai Holding will offer 86 thousand dirhams financial prizes to the first three winners in men and women, to motivate everyone to provide the best level in the marathon.»
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Races included in the marathon are: the main race for 42 km, the last for amateurs, and the third for families and children.
More than 250,000 runners from 150 countries have participated in the race since its inception in 2000.