A prize fund of $300,000 and a route taking the runners through some of the capital city’s famous sites are in store when the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon returns for its third time on November 26.
The winners of the elite men and women in the marathon will take home $50,000 each while a bonus $30,000 will also be up for grabs should they break the current course records of 2hrs:04min:40sec for men and 2:21:01 for the women.
Prizes of $8,500 and $11,000 are also on offer for the wheelchair and 10-kilometre races, respectively.
The Kenyan pair Reuban Kipyego and Vivian Kiplagat ran away with the men’s and women’s races in course record timings in the second edition of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon in 2019.
The marathon will be flagged off in front of the Adnoc headquarters and will head out along the Corniche and loop around Qasr Al Hosn, one of Abu Dhabi’s oldest and most beautiful historical buildings.
They will pass the Emirates Heritage Village, home to one of the tallest flagpoles in the world, before making their way behind Marina Mall and up and down King Abdulla Street before returning to the Corniche for a final loop of Qasr Al Hosn.
The marathon runners will cross the finish line in the event village, in the South Plaza of the Adnoc Headquarters Campus, while all other runners in the 2.5km, 5km and 10km races will start and finish on the 18th Street and finish at the Adnoc Welcome Centre.
Aref Al Awani, general secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, expects a good turnout for this year’s event after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There are several race categories available for runners to choose from, including the individual 42.2km marathon, a marathon relay for teams of two, and races over the 10km, 5km and 2.5km distances, as well as a wheelchair category.
“The Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon is witnessing a fantastic turnout of more than 4,000 participants, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic,” Al Awani said at the launch ceremony at the Adnoc Business Centre on Sunday.
“It’s an indication of the keenness and interaction of the Abu Dhabi community to participate in the event and express the extent of the growth and increase of runners in Abu Dhabi in particular, and the UAE in general.
“And with the launch of the upcoming event, Abu Dhabi once again proves its pioneering role in the sports industry worldwide, by hosting a large number of sporting events and earning praise for its organizational capabilities and infrastructure.”
According to the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon race director Andrea Trabuio, the race route remains mostly the same as in the previous edition but takes the runners through the Qasr Al Hosn loop twice.
“Qasr Al Hosn is deemed a landmark of the city and hence the runners will go through that loop twice,” he said.
“The relay is a two runner-event and we expect that to be an exciting new addition to the marathon this year. We have added many events over shorter distances to attract more participation.”
All participants will receive official Nike Dry-fit technology T-shirts designed for the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon.
Participants can personalise their official race T-shirts at the time of registration. Due to Covid-19 precautions, places for the 2021 races are limited and runners are requested to sign up at the earliest to avoid disappointment.
Entries are available across all categories. More information is available at: https://www.adnocabudhabimarathon.com/register-now/
The 12 breakaway clubs
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
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Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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The nine articles of the 50-Year Charter
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2. A geo-economic map for Dubai
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4. A central education file for every citizen
5. A doctor to every citizen
6. Free economic and creative zones in universities
7. Self-sufficiency in Dubai homes
8. Co-operative companies in various sectors
9: Annual growth in philanthropy
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
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Third Test
Day 3, stumps
India 443-7 (d) & 54-5 (27 ov)
Australia 151
India lead by 346 runs with 5 wickets remaining
