Dubai snow run: Participants don caps and gloves at winter wonderland in desert

UAE citizens and residents were seen making the most of the Sunday morning as they traversed through snowy landscapes, navigating the slopes of Ski Dubai in -4⁰C.

Despite the scorching summer temperatures outside, before entering the snow park participants were seen dressing in thick jackets, donning caps and gloves, and wearing winter running shoes as they prepared to enter the snow park.

This year’s DXB Snow Run, which is the first snow sports competition in the world to take place post-lockdown was held in collaboration with Ski Dubai and the Dubai Sports Council at the Mall of the Emirates (MOE).

The event attracted 600 running enthusiasts from more than 55 nationalities who came as far as from Ras al Khaimah in the north to Abu Dhabi in the south to participate in the race that was held in what’s dubbed as the World’s Best Indoor Ski Resort.

Karis Brown was the overall winner of the Women’s 3km with an impressive time of 00.16.37 and Rich Zielinski won the Men’s 3km in 00.15.01. Ann Wanjohi triumphed in the Women’s 5km race after running five laps of Ski Dubai in 00.28.41, while Mohammed Al Hassani came out on top in the Men’s 5km with a finish time of 00.20.38. A Team’s category was introduced this year and saw Block20 a fitness club from Umm Al Quwain take the top spot with an average time of 00.53.59.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on the sidelines of the run was participant and Lebanese expat Lulu Samneh. With each stride, Samneh and her friend navigated the pristine white surroundings, feeling the crispness of the cold air against their faces while the sound of everybody’s footsteps on the snow created a rhythmic pattern.

After successfully finishing the 5km run, she said, “It was amazing, and I really loved it. I came all the way from Ras al Khaimah just to participate in this special event. It’s my first time and definitely not my last time. It’s a bit challenging but I love challenges. Running on the high slope is really tough especially when the weather is so cold. But the adrenaline is amazing. I am used to hiking in Jebel Jais in Ras al Khaimah. I am into various sporting activities and love taking on such challenges. I have been doing horse riding for over a decade now. I do gym, swimming and hiking. I am here with a friend of mine.”

Contestants said the snow-covered terrain presented varying degrees of difficulty, from powdery trails to short, compacted paths.

Ras al Khaimah resident, UAE national Saeed Mohammad was among the 30 Emiratis who participated with a lot of enthusiasm. He says, “I am a football player but running with my friend has been nothing short of a challenge, needless to say the slippery terrain,” he quipped. “We got to know about this on event on Instagram. It’s my first run here and I loved it. I am going to be back next time, Inshallah!”

Asthma attack no hindrance

Participants said the physical demands of running on the snow engage different muscles, adding an extra level of intensity to the activity.

Filipino national in the UAE Lou Tabara who came all the way from Sharjah experienced a bit of a scare during his 3km run.

He says, “I had an Asthma attack halfway through my run. But I didn’t want to give up. I decided to walk and take it slowly. I believe slow and steady wins the race sometimes. It took me around 40 minutes, but I did it finally. This is my first run ever in Ski Dubai. Everyone was super motivated, and people were also checking up on me constantly.”

“I didn’t practice for this run specifically but I do go on regular runs,” Tabara adds.

Fitness enthusiasts show up

Runners tried adapting their stride and pace to the slippery surface, carefully maintaining balance and stability at they crossed the finish line.

Russian expat Daria Smith says, “I am afraid I didn’t practice too much for the run. But we had so much fun here. We did it as a team. It’s my friends from sports – hiking and cycling who joined me today. I do hike and skiing elsewhere otherwise. I also do cycle and running here. It’s much harder to go uphill than downhill for sure. I am looking forward to coming back next year.”

UAE national Khadem AlRemeithi came all the way from Abu Dhabi. He says he had dedicatedly practiced for a month for the final race.

“This one was interesting, I really liked it and I’ll now wait for the next one. I was participating for the first time. I practiced not in the snow but on the normal road outside. I did cycle and running. I trained with my team at least three times a week and had been preparing for a month now for this one. My biggest challenge was going up despite all practice, but going down was easy. I finished my 3km race in 41 minutes,” he says.

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