When the DXB Snow Run takes place at Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates this Friday morning, a total of 46 nations will be represented at the start line with a big number of the participants being Emiratis and tourists. Open to men and women aged 18-62 years, the 3km DXB Snow Run is a part of the ‘DXB Snow Week' and is being organized by Dubai Sports Council in cooperation with Ski Dubai. The Run will take place on Aug. 14, with the first group starting the race at 6.30 a.m. and the final group at 8.30 a.m. On Aug. 15, day two of DXB Snow Week, participants will have the opportunity to take part in ski and snowboard competitions. Billed as the "Return to Safe Sport" competition, the ski and snowboard event is open to all competent racers, freestyle skiers and snowboarders, and competitions will take place in four disciplines — Slalom Skiing, Giant Slalom, Slopestyle and Big Air. The competition will be adjudicated by a panel of freestyle judges and competitors will get the chance to win medals as well as a host of prizes. The DXB Snow Week will be one of the first snow sports competition in the world to be held with social distancing measures in place. Ski Dubai is exceeding recommended health and safety guidelines for the event and has implemented an all-encompassing sanitization and physical distancing plan to ensure that guests can enjoy a comfortable experience with added peace of mind. Dubai Sports Council have also released a number of videos on their social media channels, educating and informing DXB Snow Run participants about the arrangements in place at the Mall of the Emirates for race day and the gear they should be wearing for the Run, which will be held in temperatures below -4C. The winter and snow sports sector is the third segment to be opened for competition by Dubai Sports Council following weeks of closure due to COVID-19 pandemic. The marine sports sector was the first to open for competition in Dubai with Dubai Offshore Sailing Club's Summer Series taking place on June 19. The following weekend, Dubai International Marine Club organized a "Dubai Watersports Summer Week" in cooperation with Dubai Sports Council, and six different competitions were part of the event. Last month, Dubai Sports Council opened the doors for beach sports with the "Beach Sports Week" at Kite Beach, which witnessed competition in five different tournaments involving four sports — FootVolley, Beach Volleyball, Beach Tennis and AirBadminton. The Council has used these events to honor heroes who were at the frontline of Dubai's fight against COVID-19, by presenting commemorative medals that celebrates their efforts to the winners and participants. The medals pay homage to the selfless service of Dubai Police and Dubai Civil Defence through the COVID-19 crisis, alongside the staff of Dubai Health Authority, and the First Responders of Dubai Corporation for Ambulance Services. Together, they were at the forefront of Dubai's fight to contain the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, alongside volunteers from different segments of Dubai's diverse community. — SG
