World's first indoor running event, the 'Marathon At Home' will take place on April 10 in Dubai

The DSC has challenged residents of the Emirate to take up this challenge under the 'Be Fit, Be Safe' and #stayhome campaigns
World's first indoor running event, the 'Marathon At Home' will take place on April 10 in Dubai

The lockdown in most countries around the globe isn't a pleasant experience. People are coping with it, and are also finding new ways to keep their spirits up. Working out at home seems one way of beating these lockdown blues.

Not just fitness freaks and gym rats, even people who aren't too fond of working out have taken up some kind of activity. However, if you need more motivation to get up and get moving, this piece of news might help to kick in that spirit. 

The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) in collaboration with ASICS Middle East and the 5:30 Run club has announced the world's first Marathon At Home. The DSC has challenged residents of the Emirate to take up this challenge under the 'Be Fit, Be Safe' and #stayhome campaigns. This initiative is specially designed to keep members of the UAE community in running shape inside their home.

The Marathon At Home will be a timed 42.192km race open to people of all ages and abilities (residing in Dubai), and will take place on April 10 (Friday), between 8am and 6pm, UAE time, with a 10-hour time limit. "With the spread of Covid-19, it was our responsibility to support the government and the country in promoting #stayhome in order to #staysafe. These challenging situations inspired us to think out of the box and give our community a way to achieve and maintain an active lifestyle, while still #stayinghome (sic)," says Fuad Naser, founder of the 5:30 Run club.

Since UAE is under lockdown like many other countries, residents will have to run within the confines of their homes. They can either run in their home gardens, living rooms, balconies or any other indoor space. However, running on a treadmill or any other training equipment is strictly not allowed, and participants will have to run on ground within their residences. 

They also need to have either a fully charged smartwatch or smartphone with the Strava app installed and activated. Once they decide to join the race during the 10-hour time bracket, they will have to join the 'Marathon At Home' group on Strava and stay connected as the app will detect their movement and will assist in keeping track of their timing and distance covered.

There is no official finish line or a medal ceremony, but participants will be rewarded with lots of prizes. The top three men and women to finish will receive a fully equipped running kit, as well as a finisher medal and an entry ticket to the Moscow Marathon, which is set to take place in September, 2020. The top 10 finishers will receive 10 Electrical Muscle Stimulation functional training sessions and all finishers will receive a finisher medal, certificate and T-shirt.

This innovative idea of bringing an outdoor sport indoors can perhaps be replicated by other nations too to ensure their citizens get motivated to stay fit and stay home. 

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