Dubai: It was six in the morning and the sun was still not out, but around 1,000 cyclists had already gathered at the Union House Dubai, eager to hit the road for 150km Flat to Flag marathon.
Folk music as well as the greens, whites, reds and blacks welcomed the participants for the first Flat to Flag cycle ride to mark the 42nd UAE National Day.
A tribute to the Union Flag, the marathon began at 7am from the Union House, where Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan raised the UAE flag for the first time 42 years ago.
Making their way along the Jumeriah Road, the cyclists entered Shaikh Zayed Road via Umm Suqeim Road to cycle all the way to Abu Dhabi, via Yas Island.
Designed as a community event rather than as a race, the arena at the Union House buzzed with chatter, laughter and camaraderie as the participants reflected the true spirit of UAE, where people of various nationalities live together peacefully.
Organised under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the marathon attracted people from all sections of the society, including regular cyclists as well first timers.
From high school students and disabled cyclists to government officials and professional cyclists, all joined in to show their passion for the country.
“It’s so wonderful to see so many people joining the marathon today, particularly the expatriates, who are here to show their love for cycling as well as for their adopted home,” said Khalid Al Kamda, Director General of Community Development Authority Dubai, who is a regular cyclist. “This is a true reflection of the UAE, where citizens and residents are working together to develop the country.”
With the UAE leadership encouraging an active lifestyle for its residents and the event coming ahead of the Dubai Cycling Tour, a professional race scheduled in February 2014, the cycle marathon has been hailed as the perfect event to celebrate a young nation.
“This is a fantastic move and a great event, just what was required to encourage a healthy lifestyle, said Mohammad Al Sabbagh, Technical Director at UAE Cycling Federation, who has done long distance cycling all his life.
“Coming just ahead of the Dubai Tour cycling competition, this is a perfect promotion. I hope this will encourage a lot of people to take up cycling as a regular sport.”
Among the participants was also a young girl, Shaikh Eisa, 13, a member of UAE national cycling team, who paddled ahead with pride as her sport finally gets recognition.
“I’m happy to see so many people participating in the marathon today, which is a celebration of the nation as well as the sport,” said Shaikha, who participated along with her friends.
Apart from those who are regular cyclists, a number of people joined in to show their passion for the country and share in the joy of National Day.
“I do endurance and other sports, but this is the first time I’m participating in a cycling event,” said Mansour Falaknaz, who was among the few Emirati participants. “It’s really pleasing to see so many people, particularly expatriates. I feel really proud for my country and hope more such events are organised.”
Different people gave the event different meaning. For many, it was an opportunity to enjoy and join the celebrations but there were also people who used this opportunity to promote safety for cyclists in the country.
“UAE is a great country and it is a wonderful place to live, particularly because of its standards of living and its safe and secure environment. I am here today to show my appreciation for all that I have got from this country. But I would also like to draw attention towards the plight of cyclists and call on everybody to show respect to cyclists on roads,” said Rodgie Paje, 34, a Filipino systems engineer.
Said Hassan Al Mazroui, head of Government Communication Office of Shaikh Hamadan, and the organiser of the event appreciated the enthusiastic participation in the event. “I thank all those who participated in the event and made it successful. It is wonderful to see more expatriates than Emiratis participating in the event. We chose cycling because we want to promote an active lifestyle as it fits in with the vision of Shaikh Hamdan,” said Al Mazroui.
The marathon ended at the Abu Dhabi corniche at 2pm, where the participants were awarded medals of appreciation.
