There was a throng of people standing avidly on one side of the area and it was such a curious sight as they were all looking to their left — anticipating something or someone to come along. It was the latter as we saw firsthand as a couple of runners came and passed on a baton to the next person, this person then blitz his/her way down the track as the one who passed the baton slowed down, took a deep breath and went to the side of the track to take the exit.
They looked exhausted – the ones who finished, but despite that, there was still time for them to smile and even take a selfie with their colleagues who were still waiting on their turn. This was the sort of vibe that we saw during the first ever Bloomberg Square Mile Relay held last February 3 at the DIFC. More than 500 city workers swapped their ties for running trainers to compete in the race touted as the ultimate corporate relay race.
The race saw 50 of Dubai’s biggest firms including Emirates NBD, Dubai Airports, HSBC, J.P. Morgan, Standard Chartered and more battle it out over a one-mile (1.6km) route through the streets and pathways of Dubai International Financial Centre. Complete with a mix of stairs, straightaways and tight turns. Thus proving that this event — with the help of the venue proved to be a challenge especially to those runners who are more accustomed to walking their way to the same paths on their way to work. But this time, they’re running it.
We got up close with a couple of runners on the field discussing their group’s strategy or simply just enjoying the music and following the constant race updates on the screen. We got in touch with team Fitness First who is also the fitness partner of the event right in the middle of their conversation about team strategy. They were pretty hyped to run and extremely eager as they waited for their colleague to come around and pass the baton to the next person.
Also present was the team of Mitsui and Co. With ultra-athlete and cyclist Olga Zolotova (OutdoorUAE, January 2016) participating with her colleagues as well. She informed us that this was her team’s first ever experience in a relay race and it was pretty great for them to take part! After this short conversation, pictures ensued in front of the backdrop that Bloomberg arranged as a great way for runners to have a memory of the event.
Crossing the line first, after completing ten laps of the one-mile (1.6km) course, was team RPM with a time of 53:31 closely followed by GO FAST! with a time of 54:11. Bond Consulting secured the third and final place on the podium with a time of 57:58. As RPM crossed the line, the rest of the team suddenly awoke to jovial screams knowing that they have taken the win on the debut event of the Square Mile Relay here in Dubai. The finishers were lifted up by their comrades and the onlookers and other participants clapped their hands in joy as the winners have finally emerged. An hour or so later the race came to a close with Atoussa Mahmoudpour being the last finisher of the race. What was worthy of note is that Atoussa finished the race with the cheers of not only her colleagues but also of the other participants welcoming her in the finish line. As she reached the last turn, her colleagues ran towards her and proceed to follow her crossing the line amidst the cheers of the other participants including the podium finishers. When asked about her reaction to this warm welcome at the end of the race she had this to say: “It was overwhelming, it was amazing, and it was actually helping me to run faster.”
Right after the race, the awarding ceremony came with all the participants enjoying the food and beverage at the Race Village where the awarding was also held. Taking the podium for being the Fastest Runner was Ismail Kelkharchi from team RPM with a record time of 4:42. He received various prizes from the sponsors such as a brand new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Automatic GMT, a weekend break Ritz-Carlton and 1 year subscription at Fitness First. Team RPM also won at the team level and received the winner’s trophy on stage and also a cheque for 30,000 AED to donate to their nominated charity. RPM Team Captain of the night, Abdullah Hassan said: “I would like to thank all of our team members, our team captain Mubarak, and a special thank you must go to the event organisers, we really enjoyed this amazing race, which was very well organised, and once again thank you Mubarak.”
Headline sponsor Bloomberg has supported the event since the first race in London in 2007. Also supporting the race in Dubai were official fitness partner, Fitness First Middle East; official radio partner Dubai Eye; official time-keeping partner TAG Heuer and official venue partner, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) who also participated in the race with with two teams from DIFC Authority – including members of the Senior Management. The Centre provided a spectacular location for the race, right in the heart of the Financial District of Dubai.
Raja Al Mazrouei, Senior Vice President – Marketing & Corporate Communications at DIFC Authority, commented: “Hosting the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay has reinforced DIFC as a destination for the community to not only advance their business objectives and engage with other professionals, but also to enjoy the fantastic infrastructure that the Centre has to offer. The race inspired strong teamwork and good natured competition among some of Dubai’s largest corporations and financial institutions and we are proud to be the venue partner for such a highly regarded international event.”
After the Bloomberg Square Mile Relay race had finished, guests were then invited to join the official after-race party in the Olive Garden at The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, with complimentary beverages and live music.
The Bloomberg Square Mile Relay baton will now pass to Sydney where participants will weave their way through the spectacular one-mile (1.6km) route around Darling Harbour. Seven cities across the world are now hosting this global race series, with Sydney being the most recent addition and more to be announced in the coming year.
