Climb the stairway to fitness
12th edition of Vertical Marathon raises Dh280,000 for diabetes research
DUBAI — Pleasant weather, 1,334 stairs and 265 metres — Friday morning saw that time of the year again when over 150 rubber-soled enthusiasts set out to improve their cardiovascular fitness by climbing 52 flights of stairs.
In its 12th year, the Vertical Marathon is a 265-metre-high challenge held at Jumeriah Emirates Towers. People arrived even earlier than 7am to warm up and get into the groove of the event.
The fastest female runner, Vicki Matheson, reached the top in 12.36 minutes on Friday and the winning male runner, Paul Drury, climbed in 9.52 minutes.
This year, the Vertical Marathon was held in aid of the Al Jalila Foundation, and proceeds of the event were pledged to diabetes research. As much as Dh280,000 was raised on Friday, the highest funds raised in the 12-year history of the Vertical Marathon.
Further reinforcing its support for the event and the cause, Dubai Holding saw teams from its companies — Jumeirah Group, Dubai Properties Group and TECOM Investments — participate in the race, as part of its Corporate Wellness Programme. The idea was to improve levels of employee fitness.
Ahmad bin Byat, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Holding, said, “The funds raised during the event’s 12th edition today are for Al Jalila Foundation’s efforts to combat diabetes through medical research.”
Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, Chief Executive Officer of Al Jalila Foundation, said, “We are honoured to have been selected as the charity partner for the Dubai Holding Vertical Marathon. Our collaboration is in line with our medical research strategy which focuses on five health issues: diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and mental health, which can be prevented, in part, by increased sports activity. We look forward to a successful event and to building a healthier nation together.”
The prizes for the winners provided by Jumeirah Emirates Towers included hotel stays, gourmet meals, spa vouchers, beach passes and vouchers to the Wild Wadi Waterpark.