DUBAI // Close to 300 people sprinted up the 52 floors of Jumeirah Emirates Towers on Friday to complete the sixth-highest vertical marathon in the world.
The Dh335,000 raised from participants will support medical research on obesity in the UAE to be conducted by the Al Jalila Foundation.
Some 297 people scaled the 1,334 steps, completing 265 metres to the top and registered a doubling of the number of participants from last year.
The fastest runner was Paul Faulkner, who completed the ascent in just 7 minutes 56 seconds, with the quickest woman, Emilie Rentsch, reaching the top in 11 minutes and 50 seconds.
The top team, named “3 and a half men”, clocked in at 11 minutes.
In the male category, the second spot went to Gustavo Ayres Netto, in a time of 9:09, who was followed by Dilsha Ashen, in 9:59.
Second among the women was Vicki Matheson, in 12:09, followed by Hanile Signorini, in 12:28.
In the team category, groups from Dubai Holding, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, the Knowledge and Development Authority, fitness groups, corporate management firms, construction companies and hospitals such as Mediclinic City Hospital took part.
The event, in its 13th year, has been run for more than a decade and is the world’s highest after Taipei, Hanoi, Hong Kong, New York and Beijing.
Among participants this year was Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Dewa’s managing director and chief executive, Dr Abdulla Al Karam, KHDA’s director general, and Dubai Holding’s management team led by Fadel Ali, the company’s chief operating officer.
“A remarkable Dh335,000 has been raised for the Al Jalila Foundation, which we hope will help increase the health and wellbeing of the UAE’s population,” said Ahmad Bin Byat, the chief executive of Dubai Holding, which oversees the event.
The Vertical Marathon is an important part of the company’s wellness programme that aims to improve the health of employees through better nutrition, physical activity and stress management.
Dubai Holding has also contributed Dh5 million towards the Al Jalila Foundation’s fund for obesity research in the UAE.
Obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are three major health concerns for the UAE. More than 66 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women in the UAE are overweight, according to a 2013 report published by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
“Developing medical research requires continuous investment and leads to life-changing discoveries and innovation,” said Dr Abdulkareem Al Olama, chief executive of the Al Jalila Foundation. The local charity focuses on changing lives with medical research and education.
“The increase in lifestyle-related diseases underscores the need for long-term funding for scientific research into the areas of diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease,” Dr Al Olama said. “All funds raised at the Dubai Holding Vertical Marathon will support obesity research, one of the major health issues in the UAE and the region.”
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