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Why Dubai residents are heading to malls as early as 6am this summer
From family bonding time to interval training, Dubai's air-conditioned mallathons have become the city's favourite summer fitness routine for many
- PUBLISHED: Fri 10 Jul 2026, 6:00 AM
From solo runners to friends working out together, the Dubai mallathons have become a popular routine among several UAE residents. For some, it has become an every day family bonding time.
Emirati father Abdulla has been doing the mallathon every day with his sons 8-year-old Ahmed and 6-year-old Falah. “We either go to Dubai Mall or Dubai Hills Mall,” he told Khaleej Times on Thursday morning at 9am when he was running at Dubai Mall.
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One round of the marked path at the mall measures 1.5km. “We do two rounds together and then we go for breakfast. It is a really fun way to get the kids out of the house during summer. It has become a daily routine for us and we love it.”
The Dubai Mallathon initiative which returned for the second edition this year, began on June 15. The initiative, which lasted a month last year, has been extended for three months and will end on September 15. Taking place at six malls across the city, the daily walks/runs are open to all and does not require any registration. All participants are given wristbands, and free water bottles are available at regular intervals throughout the running loop. Runners can choose from Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Hills Mall, Dubai Festival City, City Center Deira and City Center Mirdif.
The inaugural Mallathon in 2025 attracted over 40,000 participants and set a Guinness World Record for the largest mall running event, with 1,392 runners taking part in a single race at Dubai Hills Mall. Building on that momentum, the second edition has expanded to three months and introduced pro-racing days every Saturday. Registrations are compulsory to participate in the races and can be done for free of cost on the website. At some participating outlets, there are special discounts during mallathon hours.
Increased participation
Coach Dennis, who has been partnering with Dubai Mallathon since last year, said that he has seen an increased participation from the public this year. “Last year the campaign was just one month long and the public participation was good but this year, the campaign has been extended to three months and the participation has been outstanding,” he said. “There are so many people who come on the dot at 6am and many who come every day.”
Friends Hessa and Laila have been trying to participate in the mallathon at least two times a week. Coach Dennis set them the task of completing one loop around Dubai Mall at a pace of four minute per kilometre. “We are trying to negotiate it to six minutes per kilometre,” Hessa chuckled. “But Coach Dennis is a stickler so let us see.”
Laila added that the duo have been participating in the mallathon since last year. “Hessa and I just decided to do it for fun,” she said. “It became our summer therapy walks and then became part of our training. This year, we try and do it as many times as we can. It is great that it was extended to three months.”
Great for summer
For amateur runner Muhammad Anshah, the mallathon has been a way to keep his routine during the long summer months. “Earlier, I used to run soon after Fajr to beat the heat,” he said. “But I wasn’t able to keep up that for too long and even then the heat was so high. Then I tried the treadmill but I hated it. Last year when the concept of mallathon was introduced, I tried it and loved it.”
He said that he has been doing it three times a week this year and loves it. “I have done my interval training and long run and it is the best way to stay on track for summer,” he said. “This weekend, my aim is to complete a half marathon — 21km. Of all the malls I have tried this year, my favourite is the Dubai Hills mall. Last weekend when I went at 7am, there was a band playing. There were families with kids. Hats off to Dubai for once again coming up with a way of making fitness fun and accessible to everyone.”
