Dubai: The organising committee of the Dubai 24 Hour Walkathon have announced a new route for the second running of the event, which will start at Sunset Mall in Jumeirah on November 23.
Shaikh Mansour Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, took part in last year’s first staging of the event to raise awareness about diabetes.
Now the event, organised by Dubai Sports Council, is back with the same successful format. Teams of 20 will be divided into four groups of five, but the route has changed.
In 2016, the Walkathon started in Zabeel Park. This year it starts at 7.30am on November 23 from Sunset Mall on Jumeirah Beach Road and finishes 24 hours later at the same place after four loops of a 25-km route past some of Dubai’s most iconic landmarks.
Starting from behind Sunset Mall, participants will walk down Beach Road in the direction of the Burj Al Arab before making a U-turn from Jumeirah Beach Hotel.
The route will then take them down to the edge of Dubai Canal into Safa Park and then to Business Bay, where they will turn back for Sunset Mall.
Each group of five walkers will be flagged off at set times. The first group will be flagged off at 7.30am on November 23, the second at 1.30pm, the third at 7.30pm and the fourth and final group will set off at 1.30am on November 24.
There will be six hydration stations along the route, while food and entertainment kiosks will be available at rest stations every 5-km. Ambulances with registered nurses, police escorts and marshals will be onsite to ensure everyone’s safety, while ample parking will be available for participants and spectators.
Anyone over the age of 12 can take part. Teams of 20 will be divided into four groups of five and only one group is allowed to walk at any given time.
Visit http://www.dubaisc.ae/HBMIEn# for details.
