Tomorrow, Dubai will witness the launch of the first home marathon in the world, within the framework of the Dubai Sports Council initiative “Be active, and keep healthy”, and within the national campaign “Stay at home”, which aims to motivate the public to stay at home, and adhere to the precautionary measures that The UAE is taking to combat the spread of the Corona virus.

The marathon is organized by the 5:30 Running Club, in cooperation with the Dubai Council and the ASICS Sports Products Company. As of yesterday, the number of registrants reached 749 participants from 62 different nationalities residing inside and outside the country, most notably from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and Jordan.

Participants compete in the first race of its kind in the world, extending for a distance of 42 kilometers and 195 meters, and the ages of the participants vary between 18 to 65 years, men and women, where 526 men and 223 women participate.

The council said, in a press statement: “The marathon is a race in time running inside the house that lasts 10 full hours, starting from eight in the morning and ending at six in the evening, for all ages and physical levels of men and women, and the contestant is free to choose the way to participate in running, whether in one room or in all Rooms of the house.

The organizer added: “The organizing committee provided training classes in running that were broadcast live with the coach, Chris Boone, the Ambassador of the Asics Company, and the teacher Zainab Fahd provided yoga lessons, and Chris Boone sent a set of advice, preparation methods and safety measures to all participants in the home marathon.” .

Those wishing to participate must use a sports shoe, a smart phone or a smart watch, and use a program to track the running distance provided that the account is registered in the program in the name of the subscription owner.

The three men and women who managed to finish the race in the fastest time will receive in-kind awards from the company Asics, in addition to obtaining a ticket to participate in the Moscow Marathon, while the first 10 will receive a free participation in the Vertex Fitness Club, and all participants who They finished the race for the Aix shirt, the medal of participation, as well as a certificate of participation from the club.

On the other hand, the Dubai Council initiative, “Stay upright and stay healthy” continued to attract more international football stars, who participated in awareness messages addressed to members of society in the UAE, to encourage commitment to stay at home and home training.

Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix, as well as the referee legend in the history of football, Italian Colina, have become the most prominent new entrants to the initiative. In my message, Collina said: “My friends in Dubai and the UAE, we are all going through difficult times these days, and in order to be safe we ​​must sit at home, and we must devote time to make some effort so that we are in good health, make sure that you are active, and that you are healthy.”