The 5K run will close the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament
The 5K run will close the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament Image Credit: Supplied

Dubai: The curtain will come down on the eighth season of the Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament after 16 nights of action with the 5km NAS Run on Thursday night.

This year’s NAS Sports Tournament kicked off on April 14 with the Padel Championship, which saw unprecedented participation at the local level and, for the first time, featured an internationally ranked professionals.

The 75km Cycling Championship took place across three nights, from April 22 to April 24, with hundreds of participants competing in six different categories for a total prize purse of Dh360,000.

The NAS Run, which offers a total prize purse of Dh320,000, was scheduled across two nights with the 10K Run taking place on April 28, and the 5K Run will bring the tournament to a close with hundreds competing in four different categories — Emirati Amateurs for men and women, Open Men and Open Women.

Al Meydan Road and Muscat Street will be partially closed from 10pm to midnight on Thursday to allow the runners to compete.

Organised by Dubai Sports Council, the NAS Sports Tournament has been one of the top sporting attractions during Ramadan since 2013, and the eighth season of the Tournament was organised successfully in compliance with all COVID-19 precautionary measures and protocols.

Representatives from the different strategic partners and sponsors will be honoured at a ceremony after the 5K Run.

Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, said: “We are delighted to once again support the 2021 NAS Ramadan Sports Tournament, which has grown bigger each year in terms of participation. We recognise the importance of this initiative as it empowers the welfare of various communities and we are delighted that a number of our own staff are joining in some of the sporting events listed this year.”