Over 1,500 participants took part in the inaugural National Bank of Fujairah PJSC (NBF) run on Friday morning (December 1) in the scenic emirate, which took place under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah.

Runners of all levels took part in the 3km, 5km and 10km races.

Some of the UAE’s best runners lined up for the first edition run in Fujairah. Moroccan Ahmed Tamri took the honours in the men’s 10km race with victory in a time of 29 mins 48 seconds, whilst the women’s 10km race was won by Ethiopian Adawork Aberta with a time of 33 minutes 58 seconds.

The men and women’s 5km and 3km races were also both completed with competitive times of 15 minutes 7 seconds and 25 minutes 27 seconds in the 5km race, and 13 minutes 32 seconds and 16 minutes 32 seconds in the 3km race respectively.

The winner of the men’s 10km Ahmed Tamri, said: “I’m delighted to have won the first-ever 10km Fujairah Run. It was a great privilege to run against the level of competition present during the race. I was amazed by the organisation of the event, everything ran smoothly. I will definitely be back next year to reclaim my crown!”

Runners of the course navigated their way down alleyways, past the Grand Mosque, over bridges, past shops, and alongside the Fujairah Fort, making for an exciting race track in the very heart of the emirate.

The winning runner of the UAE women’s 10km, Adawork Aberta said: “Today’s run really highlighted the beauty of Fujairah, and it was a real privilege to be a part of the first-ever run here, particularly knowing that I’ve been part of an event that is helping the community of Fujairah. I really enjoyed taking part in this event, and my victory was completely unexpected. I already can’t wait for next year!”

The fastest Emirati runner on the day also happened to win the 5km race, Waleed Saleh Alrays, who finished almost 2 minutes of the second place finisher. He was ecstatic with his race victory, commenting: “I live in Fujairah so I really wanted to participate in this race today. However for the 10km race I didn’t feel I had prepared adequately so instead chose the 5km race. I ran the race perfectly and was delighted by the result. This is all in preparation for the Dubai marathon, so today’s race in Fujairah has been great progress towards that goal.”

Commenting on the race, Vince Cook, CEO of NBF, said: “We are delighted with the success of this first NBF Fujairah Run. It was great that we were able to accommodate runners of all capabilities, from the truly professional to the more social joggers.”

“There were multiple small scale competitions happening throughout the morning whether between work colleagues or friends and family members but most rewarding was the inclusive spirit throughout, the tremendous achievements of the determined ones and the chance to enjoy the exceptional sights of Fujairah in such great company. Congratulations to all the winners and participants that completed the course.”

He also added, “I would particularly like to thank all our sponsors for their support in making this event happen, and joining us in contributing towards a healthier community. We look forward to many more Fujairah Runs in the coming years.”