MAI DUBAI CITY MARATHON: RACE OVERVIEW
Attracting more than 2000 runners the atmosphere at the Mai Dubai City Half Marathon was lively and it was great to see so many athletes of all abilities participating. There was plenty of parking just a short walk to the start line with easy access in and out of the area. Race pack collection was scheduled prior to the event but I was able to pick mine up on the morning of the race which does make it a lot easier for many of us.
Looping around the downtown area, the run course was a little technical with a few tight turns and quite narrow for so many runners, so it was often difficult getting past people.
A little more thought perhaps needs to be given to the starting line as runners were fed directly into the path of the runners already out on the course which caused quite a bit of congestion.
There were plenty of marshals out on the course and sufficient aid stations, but, with so many participants there were lengthy queues to get our medals and breakfast boxes once across the finish line. The prize giving was also delayed by two hours with no opportunity to check results meaning we had to hang around to check where we had finished.