UAE: 23,000 runners to participate in Abu Dhabi Marathon

Top international runners will headline the fifth edition of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, which over the years has seen massive participation from community members.

An estimated 23,000 runners are expected to take part in various distances, including the 42.195-km marathon, marathon relay, 10km, 5km, and 2.5km races, to be held on December 16.

The men’s race will feature the likes of Uganda’s Andrew Kwemoi, winner of the 2023 Milano Marathon, and Kenya’s Kiptum Barnabas, who finished first in both the 2019 Hong Kong Marathon and the Buenos Aires Marathon in 2017. The women’s race will include Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba, the 10km Olympic Champion, 2017 Chicago Marathon winner, and Maurine Chepkemoi from Kenya, the 2022 Enschede Marathon winner, among other star-studded names.

Suhail Al Arifi, executive director of the events sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, noted the participation of world-class international runners highlights the event’s significance locally and globally.

“The presence of well-known runners in this year’s line-up reaffirms Abu Dhabi’s and the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon’s success in gaining international recognition in long-distance running.”

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The event is open to the entire community, including families and children, with applicants able to register for the following distances: marathon, marathon relay (teams of 2), 10km, 5km, and 2.5km.

Registration is free for people of determination and Paralympics participants.

“We’re delighted to invite people from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us in celebrating physical fitness. Regardless of your fitness level, there’s a distance tailored just for you. We encourage everyone to be part of this enriching sports day on the streets of Abu Dhabi, the global capital of sports,” Al Arifi noted.

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