Cyclists roam free on Sheikh Zayed Road for Dubai Ride 2023

The Dubai Fitness Challenge event is now in its fourth year

Dubai Ride is one of the flagship events of Dubai Fitness Challenge. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai Ride takes place along Sheikh Zayed Road

The community cycling event returns on November 24 this year

Dubai Ride is a non-competitive event, one of the largest of its kind in the world

The event is open to cyclists of all ages and abilities

A cyclist performs a stunt on Sheikh Zayed Road during Dubai Ride 2023

The 14-lane Sheikh Zayed Road was closed for a few hours

Participants have a choice of two routes, 4km and 12km

The family-friendly 4km stretch follows Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard

The more strenuous 12km route takes place on Sheikh Zayed Road

Riders can use any bike, as long as it is safe and roadworthy with working brakes

Cyclists take part in the Dubai Ride 2023

All participants are encouraged to cycle at their own pace as they take in the sights

A rider poses for pictures along Sheikh Zayed Road

Riders gather at the break of dawn

Both routes end at Dubai Mall at 8.30am, after which Sheikh Zayed Road reopens for motorists

A participant at Dubai Ride

Dubai Fitness Challenge was started in 2017 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai

The event aims to transform the emirate into one of the world's most active cities

Participants dressed in costumes

Cyclists take part in the Dubai Ride on Sheikh Zayed Road

A family takes a selfie as they participate in Dubai Ride

The busy Sheikh Zayed Road is rarely closed for motorists

Riders were encouraged to cycle at their own pace

A participant with the UAE flag

Dubai Fitness Challenge is now in its seventh year and features free city-wide activities for everyone

Thousands of cyclists took over Dubai's 14-lane Sheikh Zayed Road on Sunday for the fourth Dubai Ride.

One of the flagship events of Dubai Fitness Challenge, the community cycling non-race event is one of the biggest of its kind in the world.

Open to cyclists of all ages and fitness abilities, participants gathered at the break of dawn at five predetermined starting points depending on which of the two routes they've chosen. Both the routes, 4km and 12km, were flagged off at 6.15am.

A total of 35,000 cyclists took part in the event, organisers said.

The family-friendly 4km stretch followed Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard and went past Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and Burj Khalifa.

The more strenuous 12km route took place on Sheikh Zayed Road with five starting points for the loop: Museum of The Future, Al Satwa, Coca-Cola Arena, Business Bay and Lower Financial Street.

Riders were allowed to use any type of bike, as long as they were safe and roadworthy with working brakes. It was mandatory for all riders to wear helmets.

All participants were encouraged to cycle at their own pace as they took in the sights of the city from Sheikh Zayed Road for a few hours.

Both routes ended at Dubai Mall at 8.30am, after which Sheikh Zayed Road was reopened for motorists.

Another Dubai Fitness Challenge event also took place on Sunday morning, ahead of Dubai Ride. Fitness company Les Mills and adidas set a Guinness World Record for the "most nationalities in a high-intensity interval training class".

The event took place next to Museum of the Future with hundreds of fitness fans from 55 nationalities gathering for a 30-minute workout from 5am.

Started in 2017 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Dubai Fitness Challenge aims to transform the emirate into one of the world's most active cities by encouraging everyone to commit to doing physical activity for 30 minutes a day for 30 days.

The event, now in its seventh year, began on October 28 and features free citywide activities for everyone, irrespective of their age or fitness levels.

Sheikh Zayed Road will close again for Dubai Run on November 26. Like Dubai Ride, the annual fun run will also be free to attend and is open to participants of all ages and fitness abilities.