UAE | General

Dubai races up Emirates Towers in Vertical Marathon

Over 100 people, young and old, put on their trainers to run up the 52 floors of the office block of the Emirates Towers for the Vertical Marathon on Friday.

  • By Kevin Scott, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 13:32 May 16, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Young and old in Dubai took part in Friday's race up Emirates Towers for the Vertical Marathon.
  • Image Credit: Megan Hirons/Gulf News
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Dubai: More than 100 runners took part in the sixth Vertical Marathon at Jumeirah Emirates Towers on Friday morning.

Video: Click here to watch the Vertical Marathon in Dubai

The event, organised by The Big Apple in collaboration with The Red Crescent Society, raised more than Dh121,000 for the humanitarian organisation, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

Young and the old, 124 in all, ascended the 52 floors, 1,334 stairs, 265 metres of the office tower of Emirates Towers.

Petra Jerejian, a 30-year-old swimming instructor of Czech and Australian descent, won the women's race for the second year in a row with a time of nine minutes and 49 seconds.

She said: "It feels great to win the marathon again and it's all for a great cause. My two-year-old son also took part and he managed to climb 15 floors. We're an active family and the vertical marathon is a healthy activity for a very good cause."

Seventeen-year-old Canadian Clifford Reid, a student at the Dubai American Academy, emerged victorious in the men's race with a time of nine minutes and 45 seconds, the best time ever recorded in the Vertical Marathon's history.

Tecom Investments donated Dh500 to MSF - up to the amount of Dh35,000 - for every runner completing all 52 floors.

Mohammad Al Mulla, Executive Director of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Tecom, said: "This is the third year in a row we have participated in this event and we are delighted to contribute to MSF. Our offer helps encourage the runners because they know if they reach the top floor we will donate money to charity on their behalf."

A team from Dubai Holding won the group challenge. Ryan Harris, a 14-year-old pupil at the Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) in Arabian Ranches challenged his PE teacher, 26-year-old Ben Horton, to see who could complete the Vertical Marathon in the quickest time.

Horton said: "I'm not sure if I want to admit I'm a PE teacher because Ryan is a fantastic runner. He recently broke a 10-year-old 15,000 metre record at school."

Colombian Jairo Posada, 52, ran with his 16-year-old son Juan David and 17-year-old daughter Maria Alejandra.

Kourtnie Schaefer, Events and Partnership Coordinator at MSF, said: "This has always been an exciting and fun event for us and our volunteers to participate in."

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