Dubai: Dubai Run 2025, the world’s largest free community run, turned Sheikh Zayed Road into a vast running route on Sunday, November 23, as 307,000 people took part in the city’s biggest fitness event to date.
Runners began arriving before dawn, with the first wave setting off at 4 am from near the Museum of the Future. Participants chose between 5 km and 10 km courses.
The shorter route passed Burj Khalifa and Dubai Opera, while the 10km trail crossed the Dubai Canal Bridge and ended near the DIFC Gate.
Taking to Instagram, Sheikh Hamdan shared a video thanking participants, saying the turnout reflected a city that “never stops inspiring”.
Aerial footage shared by the Dubai Media Office (DMO) captured long streams of blue T-shirts stretching through the city. Paragliders carrying UAE flags circled above the runners, creating one of the most striking moments of the morning.
Watch the videos here
Last year’s event drew 278,000 runners, a figure surpassed this year as Dubai continues to expand its community-led fitness programmes. Sheikh Zayed Road reopened to traffic at 8.30am after the final groups completed the course.
Dubai Run is a flagship event of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, launched in 2017 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, to encourage residents to stay active through the 30×30 initiative — 30 minutes of exercise for 30 days.
