Dubai: Organisers of the Beat Diabetes Walk are gearing up for its eighth edition that will be held at Dubai’s Zabeel Park on November 18.

The Beat Diabetes Walk is an annual event for the community to increase awareness about living an active and healthy lifestyle to beat diabetes. The walk this year will span approximately three kilometres, according to Landmark Group, the host of the event.

An estimated one in five people in the UAE — 19 per cent of the population — has this condition which makes the body unable to control blood sugar levels, researches show.

Following the walk, participants can opt to check their sugar levels at the free blood glucose testing kiosks. The venue will also offer a host of complimentary fun-filled activities, including special fitness activities like Zumba and yoga, or spot fitness challenges and dance routines.

Registrations for the eighth annual Beat Diabetes Walk in the UAE can be completed online at www.beatdiabetes.me from October 14 to November 12. All registered participants will receive a walkathon kit comprising a Beat Diabetes T-shirt and cap via courier through Aramex, the official logistics partner for the walk.

Landmark Group launched the ‘Beat Diabetes’ initiative in 2009, with a focused view to spread awareness on the prevention and management of diabetes across the GCC and India. An estimated 20 per cent of the people diagnosed with the condition live in these regions and the number is growing exponentially.

The Beat Diabetes initiative conducts year-round programmes, community events and media campaigns, to manage and prevent diabetes and reaches over 20 million people annually.

The initiative has also raised over $1 million (Dh3.67 million) for diabetes care and research since the Walk’s inception. The initiative’s activities culminate with the Beat Diabetes Walk organised across five territories in November, which is also the World Diabetes Month.

  • WHAT: 8th Beat Diabetes Walk
  • WHERE: Zabeel Park, Dubai
  • WHEN: November 18
  • REGISTRATION: October 14 to November 12