Women in action during Dubai Women’s Running Challenge at Garden Glow.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The United Kingdom duo of Charlotte McGarry and Lisa Garrett topped the 10K and 5K timesheets in Stage 3 of Dubai Women’s Running Challenge at Dubai Garden Glow in Zabeel Park, while Amira Ameir of Tanzania clocked the fastest time in the 2.5km Run.

McGarry, who had also clocked the fastest time in the 10K of Stage 2 at Palm Jumeirah, cruised to the finish in 39 minutes and 39 seconds, finishing a minute and 11 seconds ahead of her compatriot Becky Hayward (40:50), winner of the 10K in Stage 1 at Dubai Safari Park, while Russia’s Tatiana Savelyeva (43:14) was a further two minutes and 24 seconds behind in the overall standings.

Garrett, meanwhile, was fastest in the 5K, finishing a minute and 39 seconds ahead of Lebanon’s Mona Renno (21:35), while Analyn Fuglestad (21:51) of Norway was third.

In the 2.5K Run, the Ameir sisters of Tanzania – Amira and Aliyaa – eclipsed Stage 2 winner Khlood Al Saadi of Oman, with Amira clocking 9:44 to finish at the top of the leaderboard. Aliya (10:26) had the second-best time, while Al Saadi finished third with a time of 10:40.

The fourth and final stage of the Dubai Women’s Running Challenge will take place on February 6 in Al Seef, and participants are already looking forward to Saturday, when they run through the cultural and historical district of Dubai, and soak up the unique atmosphere of the place.

“This is my second time running the Dubai Women’s Running Challenge and I had a wonderful time,” said Jacqui Lee of the United States, who took part in the 2.5km Run. “It has been a wonderful experience. I am getting into shape which is the number one objective.”

“It was really nice here in Dubai Garden Glow,” added Anne Persson of Sweden, who ran the 5K. “It is beautiful to run here. The lighting is amazing. The people here are just so fun to run along with. Now I am really excited and waiting for my fourth race to complete my set of medals.”

Unique medal

To encourage and honour participants, Dubai Sports Council has designed a unique set of medals for the Dubai Women's Running Challenge. The medal for each stage has been designed to represent the landscape of that particular stage and, when put together, the four medals will spell “Dubai.”

Participants in action during Dubai Women’s Running Challenge at Dubai Garden Glow in Zabeel Park.

The Dubai Women’s Running Challenge is one of a number of initiatives and events launched by Dubai Sports Council to promote sports and a physically active lifestyle among all segments of the community, especially among women and children. The Challenge is an opportunity for women of different age and nationalities, who are looking for such events to satiate their competitive urges.

The Challenge is also part of Dubai Sports Council's strategic objective of empowering women, and promoting sports and physical activity among women through such competitions, which encourage women of all age and abilities to take part and also enjoy a wonderful new experience.

Women’s events and tournaments organized by Dubai Sports Council are becoming increasingly popular with women of different nationalities and age, allowing them to compete in an atmosphere of privacy and in confirmation with the customs and traditions of the region.