Around 15,000 runners gathered in Beijing's Huairou district on Sunday for the Zayed Charity Run, an event integrating long-distance running with charitable fundraising, the Global Times reported. The race featured a 42-kilometer full marathon and a 21-kilometer half marathon, drawing participants from China and overseas, including a delegation of 100 runners from the UAE.
Organizers confirmed that 50 percent of the event's proceeds will be allocated to support Huairou Hospital and the local community. Adel Saeed al Yaqoubi, general coordinator of the Zayed Charity Run, noted that the initiative adapts to local host community needs while collaborating with Chinese partners to generate a direct, sustainable charitable impact.
Counselor Khaled Alshehhi, chargé d'affaires at the UAE Embassy in China, emphasized that sports serve as an important dimension of broader bilateral interaction across trade, investment, technology, tourism, and culture. Mohammed Hilal Al Kaabi, chairman of the organizing committee, stated that participants united around a shared humanitarian purpose. The Zayed Charity Run was founded in Abu Dhabi in 2001 in tribute to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and has since expanded to multiple international cities.
Sources
- globaltimes.cn · 2026-09-27
