The inaugural Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC) kicked off with an action-packed weekend carnival in Safa Park on 20 October, with the city now looking forward to an additional four weekend carnivals across Dubai over the coming weeks until 18 November.
The additional four carnivals are scheduled for 27-28 October at Kite Beach, 3-4 November at Skydive Dubai, 10-11 November in Burj Park and 17-18 November at Dubai Festival City (DFC’s official closing event). As with the first, each will feature dedicated zones where participants can try sports such as suspension training, volleyball and boxing with expert trainers, while kids will also be catered for with special ‘fun & fitness’ areas featuring climbing walls, football and cricket coaching, horse hoppers for toddlers, and much more.
All the carnivals have unique aspects that differentiate them from the rest, ensuring there’s every reason for participants to attend the full series of weekend events throughout the month-long challenge. The Kite Beach carnival will fittingly revolve around the beach and sea, with numerous activities played out on the sand itself, such as beach volleyball, beach cricket and capoeira. The following carnival, on the grounds of Skydive Dubai, will focus on more adventurous sports such as parkour, climbing and BMX, will feature assault courses and ninja training, and include sports such as boccia, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby for people with determination. The gathering in Burj Park on the fourth weekend will see a concentrated presence of Dubai gyms and fitness studios, complete with mobile units and special gym sessions. Finally, the closing event at Dubai Festival City on the last weekend will unite participants in celebration, recognising both individual and collective achievements, complete with fireworks and special one-off events such as dragon boat racing.
Alongside the weekend carnivals, DFC is also staging a number of hero events that are new to Dubai. For kids and the young at heart, the Superhero Walkathon, taking place from 2-4pm on Friday 3 November, will transform the city into a comic book scene as participants are invited to don their best superhero costume and make their way along a 3.2km route through Dubai Marina. Meanwhile, mothers (and fathers) and their little ones can also get in on the action at the Mums and Strollers Walkathon scheduled for 9.30-11.30am on Tuesday 7 November at Mamzar Park.