Dubai: The ADNIC Yas Run, the first 10km running event to be held at Yas Marina Circuit, may still be a few months away, but it has already sparked a friendly exchange of banter between Khadeejah Sani and her younger brother Mohammad.
The African-American sibling pair who moved to Dubai 11 years ago but currently study in the United States will both feature in the event's highlight, the 10km run, which takes place on November 26.
And Khadeejah believes she will enter the run as the underdog in the battle for domestic bragging rights. "The thing is I play football, my brother is a more dedicated runner," said 23-year-old Khadeejah. "And I play in the forward position so I'm more used to short sprints, so it's definitely me who needs to practise more."
Mohammad, 19, said the brother-sister duel could best be described as the fabled battle between ‘the hare and the tortoise'. "She's more the sprinter so it's kind of like the race between the hare and the tortoise. She's the hare and I'm the tortoise. It's speed versus endurance, and I think endurance is going to win this one," he said.
However, Khadeejah has drawn inspiration from her brother in her aim to push him all the way. "As I said, he's more dedicated to running, but seeing him practise has spurred me to get out of bed every morning even though it's summer vacation," she said.
While both have to return to the US for their respective academic courses, Khadeejah said they are trying to sort out their class schedules to avoid any clash with the event.
Interested runners will have the option of joining the Sani siblings for the 10km run or compete in a team relay.
The event, a joint venture by Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company (ADNIC) and Yas Marina Circuit, is aimed at attracting runners of all abilities and also features a 3km run for children aged between 12 and 15 and a 1km run for children aged between eight and 11.
A fortnight after world champion Sebastian Vettel and other Formula One stars have finished zooming around the track at the 2011 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, participants of the 10km and 3km events will start from the official F1 starting grid before finishing under the chequered flag.
"It's going to be really exciting to run on the race track," said Khadeejah. "It will have a whole new outlook."
How to register
- Registration is now open for the ADNIC Yas Run 2011.
- Participants can visit www.yasmarinacircuit.ae to register
