This Friday, around 749 runners representing 62 different nationalities will turn their homes into a marathon 42.195 kilometer arena as they take part in the world's first ‘Marathon at Home'. A collaboration between Dubai Sports Council, ASICS Middle East and 5:30 Run club, the Marathon at Home will take place on April 10 under the umbrella of DSC's ‘Be Fit, Be Safe' and #stayhome campaigns, with the aim of keeping members of UAE's community in running shape inside their home. The Marathon at Home is a timed 42.195km race open to people of all ages and abilities, and it has attracted participants from across the region. Besides UAE, runners from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Jordan will also be taking part in this unique event. Of the 749 participants, who registered through the www.530run.ae website, 526 are males and 223 females, with the youngest participant being 18 years old and the oldest 65. The marathon will take place between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday, UAE time, with a 10-hour time cap. Participants are free to decide on the shape of their running course, but running on a treadmill or any other training equipment is not allowed. Running in public areas is also not allowed — the participant will need to physically run on ground, and inside their house. Race entry is non-transferable between individuals and relays are not allowed, and participants will have to make sure they have a fully charged smartwatch or smartphone on them, with the Strava app installed and activated. 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 traveled. There are plenty of prizes on offer for top finishers with all the finishers receiving a certificate from ASICSME and 5:30 Run, an ASICS t-shirt and a finisher medal. The top three finishers in the two categories — Men and Women — will get a full running gear kit by ASICS, an entry ticket to the Moscow Marathon, which takes place in the month of September, and a finisher medal. The Top 10, meanwhile, will receive 10 EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) functional training sessions from Vertexfitness. — SG
