Dubai Holding, the global investment holding company, is once again expected to field the largest corporate team for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon with record participation by 3,492 employees from the Corporate Office, Jumeirah Group, TECOM Group, Arab Media Group and Dubai Properties in this weekend’s races. This will be the 12th year that Dubai Holding supports and sponsors the event as part of its Corporate Wellness Programme.

 Employees are encouraged to partake in the race to boost their health and fitness levels; and to contribute to community wellbeing, through raising funds for Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation dedicated to transforming lives through medical education and research.

 In line with Dubai Government’s efforts of supporting healthier living habits, Dubai Holding sponsors the UAE National prize category, which it introduced in 2010, offering a total of AED 86,000 to the three fastest UAE nationals in the women's and men's 42km Marathon, 10km Road Races and pushchair categories.

 Edris AlRafi, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Holding said: “Dubai Marathon continues to grow in size and stature, attracting elite athletes from around the world every year. As a long-standing partner and proud supporter of this world class sporting event, Dubai Holding has contributed towards positioning Dubai as a leading sports destination.”

Commenting further, he said: “I’m very pleased to say that this year we are forming the largest Dubai Holding team to date. Our participation numbers keep growing, together with the enthusiasm and support from people across the Group. We have a thriving culture of health and wellness, and we are focused on sharing it with the wider community. Over the course of this year, and for the next three years, we will be introducing fitness events for people across the UAE through our partnership with XDubai.”

 He added: “We are delighted to add to the Race’s backdrop through our iconic landmarks, such as Madinat Jumeirah, Jumeirah Al Naseem - and most importantly our own Head Quarters, which enhance the thrill and experience for the runners.”

 "We are always impressed with the commitment of Dubai Holding and its staff when it comes to registering for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon," said Event Director Peter Connerton. "To get so many people signed up and then continue to increase those numbers year after year is a wonderful achievement and a great example to the corporate world."

 Held under the auspices of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon is one of the leading events on the Dubai sports calendar. The world’s richest running race is also the biggest mass participation event in the Middle East, with over 30,000 runners of all standards expected to participate in the event this year.