‘Dubai Ride’ to turn iconic Sheikh Zayed Road into giant cycling track on November 6
Thousands of cyclists expected to join community event as part of Dubai Fitness Challenge
Dubai: The largest community cycling event in the emirate, Dubai Ride, is set for its third edition on November 6 as one of the key highlights of the Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC).
Tens of thousands of cyclists are expected to gather on Sheikh Zayed Road to turn Dubai’s most famous road into a giant cycling track as they speed past some of the city’s most renowned landmarks including Museum of the Future, Dubai Water Canal and Burj Khalifa.
Presented by DP World, Dubai Ride offers participants two main routes to choose from: The 4km Downtown family route follows Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard and goes past Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and the Burj Khalifa. It’s a flat route, suitable for cyclists of all ages and abilities.
Meanwhile, the 12km Sheikh Zayed Road route goes from Dubai World Trade Centre to Safa Park. It includes a climb over the Dubai Canal Bridge so is suitable for more experienced cyclists. The 12km route will have five different starting gates located at the Museum of the Future, Al Satwa, the Coca-Cola Arena, Business Bay, and the Lower Financial Centre.
Flagship event
One of Dubai Fitness Challenge’s flagship events, Dubai Ride is aligned with the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to transform the city into one of the world’s most active cities and the broader vision to make Dubai the world’s best city to live in, work and visit.
Last year, 33,000 cyclists took part in Dubai Ride. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment said: “Over the past three years, we have witnessed the growing popularity of Dubai Ride, as well as its transformation into one of the key highlights of Dubai Fitness Challenge. Dubai Ride presents a unique opportunity to experience the city from a new perspective, while enjoying some of its most picturesque main roads and landmarks from two wheels.”
He added: “Everyone can benefit from 30 minutes of daily physical activity and perseverance over 30 days is enough to help anyone form new and healthier habits. The city’s world-class sporting infrastructure enables people to embrace sports and a physically active lifestyle, and with the growth of Dubai’s cycling tracks over the last couple of years, driven by its vision to become a bicycle-friendly city, professional cyclists and fitness enthusiasts now have an opportunity to practice the sport within a safe environment across the city.”
Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General, Dubai Sports Council, said: “Thanks to the vision of [Sheikh Hamdan], Dubai Ride has become one of the most anticipated fitness events on DFC’s calendar, attracting the highest number of participants in a community cycling event ever, with 33,000 cyclists taking part last year. Participants from all walks of life came together and cycled past Dubai’s most renowned landmarks including the Museum of The Future.”
He added: “For the third consecutive edition, cycling enthusiasts from across the UAE, along with international sports stars and tourists visiting Dubai, will be able to take part in Dubai Ride and contribute towards our goal of an even fitter, healthier and happier community. The popularity of cycling has been on the rise, and with the increased number of dedicated cycling tracks and community sport events taking place year-round, we expect greater participation this year as people come together to create beautiful memories and share them with the world through their social channels.”
Daniel Van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer at DP World, said: “At DP World, we believe that fitness is hugely beneficial to both our physical and mental wellbeing and actively encourage our colleagues to pursue a healthy lifestyle through regular physical activity. Cycling is an inclusive sport that all ages, backgrounds and abilities can enjoy. We are proud to help bring the largest community cycling event in the Emirate to life and look forward to welcoming everyone next month as we come together and transform Sheikh Zayed Road into a sea of cyclists.”
Biggest line-up
This year, Dubai Fitness Challenge, will see its biggest line-up to date, with an exhilarating month of fun and inclusive fitness activities across two fitness villages - DP World Kite Beach Fitness Village, and RTA Last Exit Al Khawaneej Fitness Village - as well as 17 community fitness hubs, a host of sporting events and thousands of free classes. The iconic Dubai Run is also set to return on November 20 to Sheikh Zayed Road.
Register for Dubai Ride on https://www.dubairide.com/register/