DUBAI, (Pakistan Point News - 27th Oct, 2020) The city is ready to spring into action for the Dubai Fitness Challenge, DFC, 2020, promising to energise the residents and visitors like never before from 30th October to 28th November, 2020.
Launched in 2017 by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, the fourth edition of the citywide fitness movement is all set to strengthen the spirit of the whole community and empower everyone to commit to 30 minutes of activity for 30 days.
This year’s action-packed Calendar of virtual and physical events was announced at a virtual press conference today, delivering on DFC’s promise to encourage all-inclusive participation.
The session was led by Saeed Hareb, Secretary-General of Dubai Sports Council, DSC, and Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO of Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, DFRE.
The programme calls on participants to discover "What’s Your 30?" and embrace an active lifestyle that best fits their unique preferences – regardless of age, ability, interest, fitness level.
Public health and safety will remain paramount throughout the Challenge, with all physical events, strictly following the Dubai government guidelines, including social distancing guidelines, safety precautions and hygiene and sanitisation requirements.
The DFC once again promises to make fitness easy and accessible to all – from young adults, teenagers, families, older residents and people of determination, to businesses, schools and beyond. It will feature three dedicated Fitness Villages, ten community-centric Fitness Hubs, more than 200 virtual sessions and over 2,000 classes taking place across 150 locations throughout the month. The action-packed calendar will also feature flagship programmes, including the biggest citywide fun run with Dubai Run.
Speaking at the press conference, Saeed Hareb, said, "I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid, for his visionary leadership, and for launching and sponsoring this pioneering initiative, which has become one of the most anticipated events on our calendar. I would like to congratulate all the members of the community on the launch of the 4th edition of Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30, which provides a model for a healthy and happy lifestyle. We are fortunate that our wise leadership encourages us to make sport and physical activity a part of our daily lifestyle."
"We organised the world’s first "Home Marathon" and several other unique events as part of the "Be Fit, Be Safe" initiative, and this fourth edition of Dubai Fitness Challenge 30x30 will present various innovative new activities and events to support the community in meeting their health and physical activity goals, and embrace an active lifestyle.
Al Khaja said, "What started as an aspirational vision by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed in 2017, has today become the only multi-activity, citywide fitness movement to date. The Challenge remains more crucial than ever in continuing to instil healthier and happier lifestyles and ultimately create a community that is united in spirit and highly motivated to reach their potential."
On 27th November, the biggest, free-to-enter, citywide fun run "The Dubai Run" will welcome residents and visitors to celebrate their new personal best. Six 28-day training programmes have been specially curated by some of the region’s leading professional coaches and athletes, including Manal Rostom, Tania Lolla Kaddoura, Abdullah bin Hajjar, Luke Mathews, Lee Ryan and Luke Gaffney.
The plans will be free to access on the DFC website, featuring a variety of step-by-step fitness guides for all levels across 2km, 5km and 10km distances. The event will also see a special partnership with Dubai Cares’ education Uninterrupted fundraising campaign, to support students whose lives have been disrupted by this year’s challenges.
New in 2020 will also be a programme of free, weekly-guided Dubai Running Tours, providing a unique, on-foot perspective of iconic sights across the city. Organised in partnership with Arabian Adventures and sports brand ASICS, the tours will be available throughout the 30 days. Participants can choose from three different routes - a 5km fun run around Burj Lake in Downtown Dubai; an advanced 10km beach run along Kite Beach; and an exciting, self-guided, 3km "treasure hunt" style quest in the Dubai Creek area, available for free on the Questo city explorer mobile game.
Three themed Fitness Villages, located at Kite Beach, Al Khawaneej, and Dubai Festival City Mall will complement ten community-centric Fitness Hubs across Gate Avenue, Hamdan Sports Complex, DMCC, Zabeel Ladies Club, Sustainable City, Dubai Police Officers Club, Dubai Sports Council, and Dubai Sports City, The Outlet Village and Hatta. Registration is essential before all sessions and activities on www.dubaifitnesschallenge.com The DP World Fitness Village Kite Beach will offer a variety of outdoor activities within a safe, socially distanced, and open-air setting with extended opening hours for the 30 days from 14:00 to 23:00 from Sundays to Thursdays and 7:00 to 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Global fitness brand, Under Armour, will also be present at the Village, inviting athletes of all abilities to test their agility, speed, strength, mobility and cardio with the Under Armour Functional Fitness Challenge.
The Emirates NBD Fitness Village Al Khawaneej will welcome everyone to enjoy a workout in the park, with a focus on cycling and kids/family-oriented activities. It is open to visitors every day, from 16:00 to 23:00 from Saturdays to Wednesdays and 16:00 to midnight on Thursdays and Fridays.
The Mai Dubai Fitness Village Festival City Mall will welcome participants from 6th November 2020. The centrepiece will be The Arch, a giant state-of-the-art multi-purpose iconic venue. The attraction will host four thrilling activities - a climbing wall, zip line, bag jump and quick flight - in addition to four exciting activity zones with football, basketball, pump track and a workout stage.
DFC 2020 will place an elevated focus on at-home sessions with the return of its "Find Your 30" virtual content hub. The free-to-access, one-stop destination will be hosted on the DFC website, allowing participants to unlock a wide range of premium fitness content for all ages and abilities and access trusted information to craft their individualised fitness programme. The hub will also feature "Etisalat City is a Gym", a virtual map of Dubai spanning 30 different locations across the city.
For the first time, DFC participants will also be able to benefit from free, 30-day access to leading global fitness apps. Whether you’re looking for HIIT-centric programmes, running-themed apps, at-home bodyweight workouts, or yoga and meditation sessions, DFC app partners including Fitbit Premium, NEOU, Steppi, Sworkit, Daily Burn, FIIT and Les Mills on Demand will be on hand to help guide users along the path to better health and wellness.
Fitness venues and professionals across Dubai will also offer more than 200 virtual sessions on the DFC website and over 2,000 classes throughout the month. Residents and visitors can bag a bargain on leading brands exclusively at The Dubai Mall with the first-ever DFC Mega Sale from 29th to 31st October, mall shoppers.
With only a few more days to go, participants can register and access full details on www.dubaifitnesschallenge.com.
The entities helping DFC strengthen the spirit of the community this year include organisers Dubai Tourism and Dubai Sports Council; presenting partners DP World, Emirates NBD and Mai Dubai; association partners Dubai Chamber, Dubai Festival City, Dubai Municipality, Emirates, Fitbit, Etisalat and Shamal – Kite Beach; official partners Arabian Radio Network (ARN), Aster Hospitals and Clinics, Barakat, Daman, IMG World of Adventures, Shield ME and Talabat, and government partners Event Security Committee, Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai Police, Ministry of Education, Roads and Transport Authority and Smart Police Station.
