Run for Nation Set
The Zayed Charity Run is staging a 'Run for Nation' event on April 18 that organizers expect will draw thousands of participants and families (gulfnews.com). Gulf News describes the race as community‑focused rather than an elite competitive event (gulfnews.com).
Abu Dhabi will host a 5-kilometer “Hassantak Ya Watan” community race on Friday, April 18, with organizers expecting broad public turnout from families and amateur runners. (wam.ae) The Supreme Organising Committee of the Zayed Charity Run announced the event with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the National Projects Office. Organizers said the race starts at 8:00 a.m. from Wahat Al Karama in Abu Dhabi. (wam.ae) The registration page described the event as open to participants aged 13 and older and listed entry fees starting at 52.50 United Arab Emirates dirhams. Gulf News reported organizers expect thousands of participants and families. (njuko.com, gulfnews.com) Organizers are framing the race as a public-participation event tied to fitness, unity and national values, not as an elite road race built around top finishers. State news agency WAM said the run is part of a wider April calendar of sports and community activities across Abu Dhabi. (gulfnews.com, wam.ae) That message fits the United Arab Emirates’ recent “Year of Community” campaign, which President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan announced for 2025 under the slogan “Hand in Hand.” Abu Dhabi Media Office says the initiative has continued to shape events built around belonging, volunteering and social ties. (wam.ae, mediaoffice.abudhabi) The Zayed Charity Run is already a long-running fundraising brand with events in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and the United States. Its official site says the series has held 39 runs over 24 years and raised $172,294,902 for healthcare and charitable causes as of the 2024-2025 season. (zayedcharityrun.com) Wahat Al Karama, the race site, is a national memorial in Abu Dhabi, and the choice of venue reinforces the event’s patriotic framing. The Arabic event name translates roughly to “Your Shield, O Nation,” a slogan repeated in state and local coverage. (wam.ae, gulfnews.com) For April 18, the focus is simple: a short morning run, a symbolic Abu Dhabi setting, and an attempt to turn a charity race into a mass civic gathering. (wam.ae, gulfnews.com)
