Dubai: The Dubai Midnight Marathon saw hundreds of runners in its inaugural race on Thursday night and also marked a new Guinness world for the biggest advertisement hoarding, with a display of featuring 1,500 brand logos.
Officials did not have the exact number of participants at press time.
The race sought to cement Dubai’s position as a safety-conscious tourist destination.
The 3.2-km fun race, which is set to be an annual event, started at the Burj Park in Downtown Dubai at 11pm on December 13.
The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) of Dubai had launched the Dubai Midnight Marathon initiative on 12/12/2012. The marathon is held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council.
Eyad Abdul Rahman, executive director of media relations and business development at DTCM and the general supervisor for the marathon said, “The Dubai Midnight Marathon is a great opportunity and provision for the residents of Dubai to beat the weather and traffic whilst enjoying the landmarks and sights around the city.”
Majid Al Merri, director, hotel classification and the head of the marathon event committee, DTCM said, “This marathon is in accordance with Dubai’s strategic plan and pays tribute towards making Dubai’s vision of becoming the world’s chosen tourist destination a reality.”
Kholoud Haider, one of the participants, said that “Dubai midnight marathon was a cool breeze fun and light marathon, merging different nationalities in a single race.”
