Strong turnout for half marathon

Dubai: The entry list for tomorrow's inaugural Fujairah Half Marathon has far exceeded expectations, with nearly 5,000 runners confirming their participation.

"We are overwhelmed with the entries that we have been receiving for our races. While most of our elite runners for the main half marathon [21km] have already arrived, we are amazed with the entries pouring in from the Arab countries for the 10km run," race director Mohammad Saleh Hassan told Gulf News.

"We had targeted an invitation-only field of select runners from across the world, but now this number too has increased and we can hope for an exciting first race here in Fujairah."

The Government of Fujairah has taken a huge interest in the event by putting the total prize money up to Dh1 million.

Led by Salem Al Zahmi, president of the Organising Committee, the organisers have managed to woo runners from Kenya, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Ethiopia, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.

Raising the bar

"This is our first race in this part of the UAE and we want to set a high standard right from the start," Hassan said. "We have also managed to get fully-fledged accredidation for our race from the IAAF [International Association of Athletics Federations] and that is a huge achievement for us."

Besides the main event, there are other competitions lined up, including a 10km run open to clubs and institutions from across the Arab world, a 5km open race for youths and 3km races for children, women and people with special needs.

The Fujairah Half Marathon is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammad Bin Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.

The race will be flagged off at the Fujairah Corniche at 7am on Friday. Additional information and registration at www.fujairah-marathon.com.