Record end to fitness carnival in Dubai, residents adopt healthy lifestyle

Dubai - This year's challenge ran for 30 days after it began on October 26.

The second Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) came to a thumping end on Saturday with a world record and thousands of residents adopting a healthy and active lifestyle.
This year's challenge - the flagship fitness initiative of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council - ran for 30 days after it began on October 26.
Wrapping up the 2018 DFC, Sheikh Hamdan on Saturday tweeted a video clip that registered the total number of the challenge's participants: 1,053,102.
"Thanks to all our people, schools, government, corporates, and the entire community. Proud of #Dubai30x30 @DXBFitChallenge," he said in the tweet.
Last year's total engagement numbers saw 786,000 citizens and residents commit to 30 minutes of daily physical activity for 30 days, and this year, the DFC had set and reached the goal to get more than one million people on board.
Record-breaking
From breaking seemingly unattainable world records to running 30 marathons in 30 days, Dubai residents bid goodbye to the 2018 edition of the challenge. It helped add a new aspect to the daily routine of residents - fitness.
A team of 100 swimmers from the Dubai Police broke a Guinness World Record by swimming 200 metres to tow a ship weighing 355 tonnes. The Dubai cops pulled DTA 2, a supply vessel, for seven minutes and 36 seconds at Port Mina Rashid on November 22. The police broke the previous record set by Swiss swimmers in 2013, where a 323.2-tonne ship was pulled by 73 people in four minutes and 34 seconds.
The cops recreated the feat on Saturday at the Dubai Festival City. The force's commander-in-chief, Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, and several senior police officials witnessed the event.
Elsewhere at the Burj Park, Downtown Dubai, the last day of the 30-day challenge was celebrated with an extravagant fitness carnival. Children and adults cutting across nationalities made their way to the Burj Park to enjoy sports activities such as table tennis, sprinting races, Zumba classes, and much more.
The activities helped residents take their moves to a higher level on the official fitness challenge app.
World's fittest city tag
The fitness challenge aims to take Dubai one step closer to making it the most active city in the world, allowing for increased participation from residents, visitors, government organisations, businesses and schools not only in Dubai but across the UAE.
A new addition this year was the cluster of 'thematic' villages: Five themed fitness villages ran for 26 days at locations easily accessible to communities across Dubai.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai