Ramola Talwar Badam
DUBAI // More than 23,000 runners sprinted, jogged and limped their way across the finish line in Friday’s Dubai Marathon.
Spirit, camaraderie and enthusiasm was evident in every entrant – from super-speedy professional runners to those making their race debut.
The race was won by Tsegaye Mekonnen Asefa, 18, from Ethiopia, who set a world junior record after crossing the finish line in two hours, four minutes and 32 seconds.
The fastest woman was Ethiopian Mula Seboka Seyfu, who clocked in at 2:25:01.
People in wheelchairs, firefighters from France and a host of people in costume also took part in the 10th year of the marathon.
Some were intent on achieving personal goals, while others were keen to raise funds and awareness of diseases. Many others ran simply for the love of the sport.
“This was the only way to get home, I had to complete the race,” said Thor Ranthe, a Dubai business consultant who hobbled across the finish line in just under 2 hours and 30 minutes.
“Cramps are not dangerous, so I continued running. The pain started after 35 kilometres and I couldn’t do much but run, stretch, run and stretch.”
Crouched low, pushing his wheelchair, Ali Suwalne, a government employee from Jordan, said his hands were bruised and he was drained by the effort.
“I started to train two years ago because I want to improve myself and show everyone that if I can do it, others can also do the same,” he said.
Among the 30,900 entrants to the marathon, 10K and 3K fun run were thousands of veteran runners and an equal number of first-timers.
As the sun began to beat down on the marathon runners, many required oxygen support and medical assistance after collapsing along the route or close to the finish line.
“I didn’t know how I would feel after a marathon, now I know – I feel terrible. But maybe I will feel better later,” said Ataka Toru, a visiting Japanese engineer who combined a business trip to the UAE with his marathon debut.
Like several entrants, he suffered from cramps but recovered after drinking fluids.
“I wanted to have the experience of running the marathon. Running keeps me healthy and helps me forget my work, I just run,” he said.
It was tourist Roberto Boiano’s fifteenth marathon. The hairdresser, from Caserta, near Rome, who is visiting the UAE for the first time, said long-distance running was relaxing.
“My stress goes out of me when I run,” he said. “You are very, very tired but it makes you become very, very calm.”
Hundreds came out to cheer on the runners. The most visible contingent of supporters was a group of Ethiopians wearing red, yellow and green t-shirts and waving their national flag.
They stomped, sang, beat drums and whistled for every Ethiopian athlete whose image flashed across giant screens at the finish line.
“We are singing spiritual songs to be thankful for this day,” said Sara Moges, a housekeeper at an Abu Dhabi hotel who attended with friends. “We are here to cheer for our athletes because they are the best, always.”
The crowds reserved their loudest cheers for contestants with special needs.
Coline Gaultier, a professional musician from France, was lifted out of a joelette, a specially designed one-wheel chair, and walked a few steps to the finish line helped by her Parisian firefighter teammates.
“Before the chair, I was a sporting person. I want to enjoy the same now and they help me,” said Ms Gaultier, who suffers from dystonia, a condition that causes the muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily.
A team of seven firefighters from the Pompier Raid Aventure group took turns pulling the chair across the 42-kilometre course.
The team aims to give people with special needs the chance to take part in sporting events and they have their sights set on marathons in Australia and Tanzania this year.
“It’s a great challenge for me because, with every race, my condition is at a different stage and gets worse. But I want to show that if you want to, you can do it,” Ms Gaultier said.
Wearing a bright blue and red suit with a flowing red cape, another contestant was keen to spread a health message.
“Marathon Man”, also known as Trent Morrow, from Australia, ran 158 marathons last year, taking him to 11 countries on five continents.
“I put on this suit to inspire others to take a leap of faith,” said Morrow, who took up running in 2006.
“I was 30 kilograms overweight and I want to show others what is truly possible if you believe in yourself, and with a fitness and lifestyle change.”
rtalwar@thenational.ae
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
About RuPay
A homegrown card payment scheme launched by the National Payments Corporation of India and backed by the Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank
RuPay process payments between banks and merchants for purchases made with credit or debit cards
It has grown rapidly in India and competes with global payment network firms like MasterCard and Visa.
In India, it can be used at ATMs, for online payments and variations of the card can be used to pay for bus, metro charges, road toll payments
The name blends two words rupee and payment
Some advantages of the network include lower processing fees and transaction costs
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if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
SPECS
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