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RunningIn Dubai, joggers run in shopping centers
On the initiative of the government, the air -conditioned shopping centers of Dubai open their doors to athletes during the month of August, where the heat is overwhelming.
Sheltered from overwhelming heat, a vast Dubai shopping center is filled on Saturday morning hundreds of runners who came to participate in the “Mallathon”, a course organized inside, in the freshness of air conditioning. This initiative, supported by the government of the emirate, aims to encourage physical activity in August – the hottest month of the year in the United Arab Emirates – while taking advantage of the vast shopping centers of Dubai, often deserted in the early hours of the day.
In the Gulf, one of the hottest regions in the world where the thermometer sometimes exceeds 50 ° C, running outside is not only uncomfortable: this can be dangerous. “Running outside is not at all healthy, with temperatures oscillating between 40 and 50 ° C,” summarizes Rai, a jogger with discolored hair kept back by a headband.
Dressed in “Dubai Mallathon” t-shirts, participants run or walk in front of closed shops, along large marble aisles, before the arrival of the first customers a few hours later.
Robots among runners
9 shopping centers including the Dubai Mall – one of the largest in the world – open every day in August, from 7 to 10 hours, to accommodate runners and walkers. On weekends, some offer timed 10 km, 5 km or 2.5k m m routes, with price discounts and podiums as in the open air.
At the City Center Mirdif, where the day’s edition takes place, two robots wander among the runners, who stop to put the time of a selfie. A little further, improvised cyclists line up to pedal on electric bikes linked to mixers in order to prepare smoothies.
Fight against obesity
The “mallathon” is supported by the crown prince of Dubai, Hamdan Ben Mohammed Ben Rachid Al-Maktoum (42), a follower of an active lifestyle. It is part of a set of initiatives intended to encourage a very motorized population to find the taste for exercise. Among them, the challenge “30×30”, which invites residents to devote half an hour to sport every day for a month.
In the Gulf, rich in hydrocarbons but subject to a desert climate, obesity is among the major public health challenges. According to a recent study published in The Lancet, 94% of men in the United Arab Emirates could be overweight or obese by 2050, a world record. In question, in part: an overwhelming heat that lasts several months and continues to intensify. In May, temperatures exceeded 50 ° C in the Emirates and reached on August 1, 51.8 ° C, bordering on the absolute record of 52 ° C.
For Menna, a 36 -year -old Egyptian living in Dubai for 15 years, “no question” of playing sports outside in summer. “But in the shopping center, we have air conditioning, first aid, water,” she said. And “it motivates more when other people do it too.”
Mass effect
Fouzeya Faridoon, head of social activities at Dubai Sports Council, tells AFP that more than 500 people have registered for the free Saturday event. “The idea is to encourage people to exercise, including walking and racing, even in summer,” she insists. In the crowd: children, men, veiled women, and at least one person with disabilities. All are divided with a medal and a bag filled with gifts.
Zamani, a 46-year-old Sri Lankan tourist, participates with her young children. “I like this energy, everyone is ready and equipped,” she smiles. It’s very modern and chic ”.
(afp)
