13,000 participants in the “Tower to Tower” running race

The “Tower to Tower” running race, organized by World’s Iconic with the support of the Dubai Sports Council, will be held at six-thirty tomorrow morning, Sunday, with a record participation of more than 13,700 runners, male and female, from inside and outside the UAE, competing for the title of the main race over a distance of 21 kilometers, in one of the most prominent international road races in the region.

The race starts from the Emirates Towers all the way to Jumeirah Park, passing through a number of the most prominent urban and tourist landmarks in Dubai, including the Museum of the Future, Burj Khalifa, and Burj Al Arab, within a path that combines sporting challenge with the distinctive urban character of the city.

The race includes rewarding financial prizes for the winners in various categories, as the top ten runners in the elite category for men and women receive prizes starting from 40,000 dirhams for first place, 20,000 dirhams for second place, and 16,000 dirhams for third place, all the way to tenth place, in addition to special rewards for the fastest runner to break the 60-minute barrier, and prizes designated for Emirati runners, in addition to age group categories, in support of sports competition at various levels.
The race will witness the participation of a group of the most prominent international runners in the elite category, led by Ugandan runner Joshua Cheptegei, winner of two Olympic gold medals in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters races, and a three-time world champion in the 10 km race, who has a personal time of 59:21 minutes in the half marathon.

The 2025 marathon world champion and second-place finisher in the Boston Marathon, Alphonse Simbo, will also participate, along with the German runner Richard Ringer, the 2022 European champion, in a race that is expected to witness strong competition for the first places.

In the women’s competition, the Kenyan participation is led by Irene Chebtai, the world cross-country champion and bronze medalist in the 2024 Chicago Marathon, along with Jacqueline Cherono, winner of the 2025 Rotterdam Marathon, and Britain’s Alexandra Bell, the Olympic finalist and two-time European cross-country champion.

Director of the Sports Events Department at the Dubai Sports Council, Issa Sharif, confirmed that Dubai continues to strengthen its position as a global center for hosting major sporting events, noting that road races, led by “Tower to Tower”, reflect the emirate’s long-term commitment to supporting sports and spreading the culture of active lifestyles, in addition to providing sports experiences according to the highest international standards.

He said in press statements that the “Tower to Tower” race recorded an exceptional growth in the number of participants, as the participation rate increased by more than 170% between the first and second editions, and by an additional 50% in the third edition, while international runners constitute more than 30% of the total participants, which confirms the growing global appeal of the event.

He added: “The participation of an elite group of the world’s most prominent runners from Africa, Europe, and other regions contributed to consolidating the position of “Tower to Tower” on the global road racing agenda, considering that the race represents an advanced model of integration between the government and private sectors, whether at the level of organization, safety standards, or the experience of athletes.”