ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Sports Council has revealed the new race route for the third edition of the Abu Dhabi Marathon, sponsored by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.
The race, set to take place on Friday, Nov. 26, will have total prize money of $303,000 and also include 10 km and wheelchair categories.
The announcement came in the presence of Aref Hamad Al-Awani, general secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council; Andrea Trabuio, ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon Race director; and Kinan Abou Hamdan, marketing director of Nike Middle East and Gulf Marketing Group.
“The third edition of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon is witnessing a great turnout of more than 4,000 participants, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic,” said Al-Awani. “It’s an indication of the keenness...of the Abu Dhabi community to participate in the event.”
The race categories available for runners will be the individual 42.2 km marathon; a marathon relay for teams of two with distances of 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km; and a wheelchair race category.
The total prize fund for the 2021 edition will be AED 1.11 million ($303,000) and will be shared across the various categories, with the elite male and female winners of the marathons taking home $50,000 each.
A bonus cash prize of $30,000 will also be awarded should runners break the current course records of 2:04:40 and 2:21:01 for the male and female races, respectively. Cash prizes of $8,500 and $11,000 will be awarded to winners of the wheelchair and 10 km categories, respectively.
“We are delighted with the partnership with ADNOC, which already embodies its corporate identity and its strategy through its sponsorship and support for the marathon and all global and community sporting events,” Al-Awani added. “We are also thankful for the presence of the sports brand Nike among the list of sponsors of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, as well as for the support of the Department of Community Development, General Command of Abu Dhabi Police, Department of Municipalities and Transport, Tadweer and Al Ain Water.”
The 2021 ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon will start in front of the ADNOC Headquarters, with direct views of the Founder’s Memorial, while runners participating in the 2.5 km, 5 km and 10 km races will begin on 18th Street.
Following the start gun, runners will head out along the Corniche and loop around Qasr Al-Hosn, one of Abu Dhabi’s oldest historical stone buildings. Participants will then pass the Emirates Heritage Village before making their way behind Marina Mall, running up and down King Abdulla Street, and returning to the Corniche for a final loop of Qasr Al-Hosn.
Marathon runners will cross the finish line in the event village, located in the South Plaza of the ADNOC HQ Campus, while all other participants will finish in 18th Street, opposite the ADNOC Welcome Center.
