Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
World Athletics has announced that the Abu Dhabi Marathon, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and sponsored by ADNOC, has been awarded the "Gold Label Road Race" designation in recognition of the event’s high organisational standards and its growing status among the world’s leading road running races.
This classification is one of the highest recognitions granted by World Athletics to road races. Events are evaluated according to a set of strict criteria that includes the quality of organisation, the level of international participation, safety standards, services provided to runners, and compliance with globally recognised technical regulations.
The Abu Dhabi Marathon’s receipt of this global classification reflects the advanced status the event has achieved since its launch. The race has successfully attracted elite professional and amateur runners from around the world, in addition to thousands of participants from within the UAE and internationally.
The achievement also reflects the ongoing efforts of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council in organising and developing major sporting events, contributing to the promotion of sports participation and healthy lifestyles among members of the community, while reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a global destination for hosting major sporting events.
Aref Hamad Al Awani, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: "The Abu Dhabi Marathon receiving the Gold Label Road Race classification represents a new achievement that reflects the event’s success in implementing the highest international organisational standards. It also confirms the growing status the race now enjoys on the global road running calendar, in addition to its role in encouraging community members to practise sports, promote healthy lifestyles, and enhance the quality of life for all members of society".
The Abu Dhabi Marathon is considered one of the emirate’s most prominent annual sporting events. It offers several race distances for different categories of runners, including the full marathon (42.2 km), the half marathon, as well as shorter-distance races that attract wider community participation.
Since its launch in 2018, the event attracted more than 10,000 runners in its first edition, and has witnessed continuous growth in subsequent editions. In the second edition in 2019, participation rose to more than 16,000 runners, while the third edition in 2021 was held after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attracting around 12,000 male and female runners under precautionary measures.
Participation numbers continued to increase in the fourth edition in 2022, with more than 20,000 participants, followed by the fifth edition in 2023 which recorded around 25,000 runners from across the world.
The sixth edition in 2024 attracted more than 33,000 participants from over 150 nationalities, while the most recent edition recorded more than 37,000 runners, reflecting the event’s rapid growth and its increasing status among the world’s leading road running races.
