On Friday, December 17, 2021 was the first edition of the Darraq 5K, which evolved from the DQ Fun Run in 2018. It was a beautiful afternoon, with a light cool breeze, and a few clouds to protect from the suns rays.
Darraq Kids Dash - smiles and cheers!
The kids showed up first to run the Darraq Kids Dash inside Yamamah Park. The smiles shined on their faces and you can feel the enthusiasm in the air as the kids warmed up and toed the start line. The race ran around the outer edge of the park through the stone columns. The course ran by fountains, trees, and had race marshalls all along cheering them on and guiding the kids along the way.
The kids race was split into two starting waves:
Wave 1: 8 to 12 years old
Wave 2: Under 8 years old
The crowd cheered on every last child in the 800m long Darraq Kids Dash, and they were jubilant once they crossed the finish line and received their well-earned finisher's medal.
The Darraq 5k - filled with trails, views, and parks
With a crowd of almost 400 participants, the 5K was ready to take place. The participants were split into 5 starting corrals based on their self-assigned speed. At 4PM, they took off to run from Yamamah Park through the Diplomatic Quarter trails, entering through Assidr Park, and passing Al Nafal Park, Al Arrar Park, and Assabaa Park, before returning to the start/finish line. The trails were filled with beautiful views of Wadi Hanifah below, and the refreshing landscapes and parks of the DQ.
The finish line received the finishers with music, cheers, and all around great vibes! After crossing the finish line, finishers were able to relax in Yamamah Park, enjoy some food and beverages from the vendors, and cheer on their fellow runners at the finish line.
The top 3 athletes from the the women's and men's open, 40+, and 60+ categories were awarded with commemorative trophy.
In Conclusion...
Putting on these events and seeing the smiling faces, people reaching their goals, everyone enjoying the outdoors, and participants challenging themselves really makes our day! We are so happy to have organized the Darraq 5K, and we hope you enjoyed participating. If you weren't able to book your spot, or didn't hear about until too late, or just couldn't make it this time around, don't worry because we hope to see you next year and for many more years to come. Until next time, stay active, keep running, and stay tuned for more races!