Abu Dhabi, UAE – The International Association of Athletics Federations announced the awarding of the Abu Dhabi Marathon. Organized by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and sponsored by ADNOC, it is the “Golden Mark of Road Racing” classification. In recognition of the high regulatory standards applied by the race, and its growing position among the most prominent road running races in the world.
This classification is one of the highest accreditations granted by the International Athletics Federation to road racing. It evaluates races according to a set of strict criteria that include the quality of organization. The level of international participation, safety standards, and services provided to runners, in addition to compliance with internationally approved technical regulations.
advanced standing
The Abu Dhabi Marathon’s global ranking confirms the advanced position the event has reached since its launch. He succeeded in attracting an elite group of professional and amateur runners from all over the world. In addition to thousands of participants from inside and outside the UAE.
This achievement reflects the ongoing efforts of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council to organize and develop major sporting events. This contributes to promoting a culture of sports and a healthy lifestyle among members of society, and consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as a global destination for hosting the most prominent sporting events.
Notable event
The Abu Dhabi Marathon is one of the emirate’s most prominent annual sporting events. It includes distances suitable for different categories of runners, namely: the full marathon race “42.2 km”, and the half marathon, in addition to shorter distance races that allow participation for wide segments of society.
Since its launch in 2018, the Abu Dhabi Marathon has attracted more than 10,000 runners in its first edition. It witnessed continuous growth in subsequent editions. In the second edition in 2019, the number of participants increased to more than 16,000 runners.
The third edition was held in 2021 after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. About 12,000 male and female runners participated in implementing precautionary measures.
Growth continued in the fourth edition in 2022, with the number of participants exceeding 20,000 runners. The fifth edition in 2023 registered approximately 25,000 runners, leading up to the sixth edition in 2024, which attracted more than 33,000 participants from more than 150 nationalities. Then the seventh edition recorded the participation of more than 37,000 runners. Reflecting the event’s rapid growth and growing position among the world’s leading road running races.
