Dubai Run 2026: Date, Route and Registration (Open)
Dubai Run 2026 is on Sunday 22 November from 6:30am, with free 5km and 10km routes starting on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future. Booking had not opened by 2 October 2026, and bibs will be collected at Zabeel Park from 2 to 21 November.
Once a year the RTA closes Sheikh Zayed Road, the twelve-lane motorway that runs through the middle of Dubai, and for one morning you get to walk down it. That morning will be Dubai Run 2026, on Sunday 22 November 2026.
A part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026, the run will have two distance options – 5km and 10km. You can pick one when you register.
Also read: Dubai Run 2026 Registration
Dubai Sports Council and the Department of Economy and Tourism have now published most of the practical details for Dubai Run 2026 in the official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ, which we read on 2 October 2026. It gives the timings, the start and finish points, bib and T-shirt collection, the rules for children, Metro stations and what you can bring. Running enthusiasts are also looking forward to knowing more about the Dubai run t-shirt. A few things are still only known from 2025. We mark each one, and we’ll replace it as the 2026 details come out.
Latest Announcements: Dubai Run 2026 (Updated 2 October 2026)
Dubai Run 2026 booking is not open yet
No opening date has been announced. What you can do now is sign up for the Dubai Fitness Challenge (30x30), the account you are likely to book with. See Dubai Run 2026 Registration below, and our Dubai Run registration guide, which will carry the booking link the day it opens.
Here is everything Dubai has announced since we first published this guide, from the official Dubai Run page, the official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ and the 1 October registration announcement (read 2 October 2026):
- Booking is still not open. The 30x30 sign-up opened from 28 September (official FAQ), announced 1 October, but it is not a Dubai Run place. Registration
- The timings are out. Start 06:30, start line closes 08:00, finish 09:00, and you arrive in the slot you choose at registration. Date and start time
- The routes are confirmed. Both start near the Museum of the Future; the 5km finishes near Dubai Mall and the 10km at the DIFC Gate Building. Route
- Bib and T-shirt collection is set. Dubai Municipality 30x30 Fitness Village, Zabeel Park, 2 to 21 November 2026. Bib collection
- New rules for children. A parent or guardian can register up to three children, and under-18s must run with an adult. How to join
- Metro stations named. World Trade Centre for the 5km, Emirates Towers for the 10km, with at least AED 15 on your nol. By Metro
- Three Fitness Villages and more than 23 Community Fitness Hubs. Only the Zabeel Park village has been named.
Still not announced: the booking date, the arrival slots, RTA road closure times, the Salik tariff, extended Metro hours, the T-shirt colour and the presenting partner.
Dubai Run 2026
Dubai Run 2026 is a mass run along a closed motorway. Sheikh Zayed Road carries most of Dubai’s traffic for the other 364 days of the year, and on this one morning its twelve lanes will be given over to people on foot, running, jogging or walking.
It is not a race. The official FAQ says you can run or walk at a comfortable pace. In 2025 there was no timing chip and nobody was ranked.
You bring running shoes, your bib and, if you chose one, the Dubai Run T-shirt. The bib is the paper number you pin to the front of your shirt, and it is mandatory. You pick it up at Zabeel Park between 2 and 21 November, not on the morning itself. Mai Dubai water stations sit before the start, along the route and at the finish.
Dubai Run sits inside Dubai Fitness Challenge, the city-wide campaign that asks residents and visitors to move for 30 minutes a day for 30 days. It’s one of the campaign’s four flagship days.
- Organised by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Dubai Sports Council.
- Delivered on the ground by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), which is part of DET.
- First held in 2019.
Confirmed for 2026 (official FAQ, 2 October 2026). It is not a race. The 10km is for experienced runners, and the 5km suits a broad range of people. In 2025 there was no fitness test, no qualifying time, no timing chip and no minimum pace.
Also read:
Dubai Run 2026 - A flagship event of the Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026 (Dubai 30x30)
Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026 will start on Saturday 31 October and will finish on Sunday 29 November. Dubai Run will be one of its four flagship days, and it’s the one that draws the biggest crowd by a wide margin.
The other three flagship days are:
Our guide to Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026 covers all four.
Dubai has also confirmed the wider picture for the month. Dubai Run has grown from 70,000 people in 2019 to more than 307,000 in 2025. There will be three free Fitness Villages and more than 23 Community Fitness Hubs in 2026. One village is named in the official FAQ: the Dubai Municipality 30x30 Fitness Village at Zabeel Park, where you collect your bib. The other two villages and the hubs have not been named.
Dubai Run 2026 Date and Start Time
Dubai Run 2026 will take place on Sunday 22 November 2026, and it will start at 06:30.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | 22 November 2026 |
| Start time | 06:30 |
| Day of the week | Sunday |
Both facts come from the Dubai Fitness Challenge event page. The official Dubai Run site has the date and a countdown clock on it, but not the start time.
The official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ (read 2 October 2026) gives the rest of the clock:
- Start: 06:30.
- Start line closes: 08:00.
- Finish: 09:00.
- Arrival: during the time slot you select when you register.
06:30 is when the run will start, not when you’ll be asked to arrive.
Still not announced as of 2 October 2026: the arrival slots you will choose from. We’ll update this section when booking opens and the slots are published.
Dubai Run 2026 Route
Dubai Run 2026 will have two routes
- 5km
- 10km
Both routes start on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future. The 5km finishes on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard near Dubai Mall, and the 10km finishes at the DIFC Gate Building near Emirates Towers. That comes from the official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ, read on 2 October 2026. Detailed route maps go to registered runners.
Dubai Run 2026 5km Route
The 5km starts on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future and finishes on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard near Dubai Mall (official FAQ). The FAQ says it suits a broad range of people.
Confirmed for 2026 (official FAQ, 2 October 2026). Start on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future, finish on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard near Dubai Mall. Strollers are allowed on the 5km. The landmarks it passes in 2026 have not been listed.
Dubai Run 2026 10km Route
The 10km starts on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future and finishes at the DIFC Gate Building near Emirates Towers (official FAQ). The FAQ says it is for experienced runners.
Confirmed for 2026 (official FAQ, 2 October 2026). Start near the Museum of the Future, finish at the DIFC Gate Building near Emirates Towers. The turn points in between have not been published; registered runners get the route map.
| The route | Start and finish | Who it suits | Strollers? | Confirmed for 2026? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5km | Museum of the Future to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard near Dubai Mall | A broad range of people, including families and walkers | Yes (official FAQ) | Yes: start and finish (official FAQ). Map to registered runners |
| 10km | Museum of the Future to the DIFC Gate Building | Experienced runners (official FAQ) | The FAQ allows strollers on the 5km only | Yes: start and finish (official FAQ). Map to registered runners |
Which Dubai Run route suits you?
Try this
Walk or run your chosen distance one morning this weekend, before sunrise. Early October mornings in Dubai are still far hotter than November mornings, so if the distance is bearable now, 06:30 in November will feel easy. Our guide to running in Dubai in the heat has the pre-dawn routes for it.
Dubai Run 2026 Registration
Registration for Dubai Run 2026 is not open. On 2 October 2026 neither Dubai Sports Council nor DET had announced when it will open. Dubai Fitness Challenge sign-up opened from 28 September, according to the official FAQ, and Dubai announced it on 1 October. Dubai Ride booking is live, so Dubai Run is the next one to watch.
- The official Dubai Run site has no booking on it yet. It shows the date, partner logos and an Event Waiver link. We checked it again on 2 October 2026: there is still no register button anywhere on it.
- The Dubai Fitness Challenge event page has no booking link either. The official FAQ already explains how it will work: every participant registers online, for free, then collects a bib at Zabeel Park. The Dubai Ride page, by contrast, now has a working Register button.
- The general Dubai Fitness Challenge sign-up is open, and it is not Dubai Run entry. It opened from 28 September 2026 at dubaifitnesschallenge.com/en/login and signs you up for the 30-day campaign. It does not give you a place in the run, but the same account is the one you are likely to book with. Our Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026 guide explains what that sign-up does cover.
What you can do today
Create your Dubai Fitness Challenge account now at dubaifitnesschallenge.com/en/login, and add your children under My family. When Dubai Run booking opens, you will only need to log in, pick a route and an arrival slot, and say whether you want a T-shirt. Book early: in 2025 the free T-shirts had all gone by 27 October. Our Dubai Run registration guide will carry the booking link the day it opens.
| Year | Detail |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Opened 17 October, 40 days before the run |
| 2025 | Live by 29 October, 25 days before the run |
| 2026 | Opening date not set |
Mid-to-late October is the pattern, which means booking could open any day from now. It is only two years of evidence though, and one of the two dates came from a magazine rather than an official release.
One wrong date is already in circulation: the 2 October 2025 opening was the general Dubai Fitness Challenge sign-up, not the run.
Not announced as of 2 October 2026. In 2025 booking was live by 29 October. We’ll update this section when DET and DFRE publish the 2026 booking link on the official Dubai Run page.
How to Join Dubai Run 2026
Joining Dubai Run 2026 will take four steps, spread over several weeks rather than done in one sitting: register online, choose a route and an arrival time slot, collect a bib at Zabeel Park on a separate trip, and wear it on the morning.
The 10km needs preparation, and you’ve got about seven weeks, with the mornings getting cooler the whole way through. Our Dubai Canal Run 2026 guide covers a timed road race in the city if you want one.
Changed your mind about the distance? The official FAQ says to cancel through your Dubai Fitness Challenge account, register again for the other route and collect a new bib.
Under the 2026 rules in the official FAQ, this is who can take part:
- Children of all ages. A parent or legal guardian can register up to three children.
- Under-18s. They must be accompanied by an adult, and the parent accepts the waiver for them during registration.
People of Determination, the UAE term for people with disabilities, could register in 2025, and a support team was provided. We’ll add the 2026 Dubai Run arrangements for People of Determination when we can confirm them.
Dubai Run 2026 Bib Collection
Bib and T-shirt collection runs from 2 to 21 November 2026 at the Dubai Municipality 30x30 Fitness Village in Zabeel Park, according to the official FAQ. It is not on the morning itself, so it costs you a separate trip. Collection times are shared with registered participants. The T-shirt goes to those who selected one during registration. The bib is mandatory. A Fitness Village is a temporary outdoor park with free classes and equipment. The name 30x30 means 30 minutes a day for 30 days.
Still not announced as of 2 October 2026: the public collection hours. The official FAQ says times are shared with registered participants.
Dubai Run 2026 Fees
Entry is free for both the 5km and the 10km. The official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ (read 2 October 2026) says every participant registers online for free. Entry was free in 2025 as well.
| What you get | Included in free entry? | Confirmed for 2026? |
|---|---|---|
| Numbered bib | Yes | Yes, official FAQ. Collected at Zabeel Park, 2 to 21 November |
| Safety pins | Yes in 2025 | Not yet, 2025 shown |
| Kit bag | Yes in 2025 | Not yet, 2025 shown |
| Dubai Run 2026 T-shirt | Yes, if you selected one at registration. Collected with the bib | Yes, official FAQ. Colour not announced |
| Drinking water on the route | Yes, at Mai Dubai water stations before the start, along the route and at the finish | Yes, official FAQ |
What does free entry actually include?
What Dubai Run 2026 Free Entry Does Not Cover
Free entry covers the run itself and nothing around it. Salik, which is Dubai’s road toll, will still be charged on the morning, and so will your metro fare and your parking. You buy your own kit.
- Salik tolls. Salik is charged automatically as you drive under a gate. On the morning of the 2025 run the 06:00 to 10:00 peak rate rose to AED 6 a gate. The 2026 tariff has not been announced.
- Metro fare. A nol card is the travel card you tap at the station gate. The official FAQ says to have at least AED 15 on your nol card or app.
- Parking. The official FAQ says parking is limited. Normal car-park charges applied in 2025, and no free parking was offered.
- A second trip to Zabeel Park to collect your bib on a different day.
- Your own kit. You bring your own shoes, sun hat and water bottle. In 2026 the T-shirt goes to those who selected one at registration. In 2025 stock ran out before the event. That last point comes from Expat Media, a commercial news site rather than an official source.
Still not announced as of 2 October 2026: the Salik tariff for 22 November 2026, and whether the safety pins and kit bag come with the bib again. In 2025 the Salik peak toll was AED 6 a gate. We’ll update this section when Salik publishes a tariff.
Dubai Run 2026 Road Closures
The RTA, which is Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, will close Sheikh Zayed Road for Dubai Run 2026, and in 2025 the closure took in several Downtown streets and the parking bays beside the motorway as well. The official FAQ confirms that roads close on 22 November and tells you to watch the RTA’s official channels. The RTA hasn’t published the closure notice or the timings for 2026 yet.
The 2025 closure clock, as reported from RTA advisories. Nothing equivalent has been issued for 2026.
How it worked in 2025
- Roads closed one by one from 20:00 the night before.
- The main closure ran from 03:00 to 10:00 on the morning of the run.
- Every road reopened by 09:30, once the road was checked and cleared.
- Closed: Sheikh Zayed Road between Trade Centre Roundabout and the Al Hadiqa Road bridge, Lower Financial Centre Street, one direction of the main Downtown boulevard, one lane of Al Sukook Street, and the parking bays beside Sheikh Zayed Road.
- The RTA pointed drivers at Upper Financial Centre Street, Zabeel Palace Road, Al Wasl Road and Al Khail Road instead.
Not announced as of 2 October 2026. In 2025 the closure ran from 03:00 to 10:00. We’ll update this section when the RTA publishes the 2026 closure notice.
Salik sets its own tariff for the morning, separately from the RTA. Not announced as of 2 October 2026. In 2025 Salik confirmed the AED 6 morning peak two days before the run. We’ll update this section when Salik publishes a tariff for 22 November 2026.
How to Get to Dubai Run 2026
Sheikh Zayed Road is the course itself, so nothing parks on it and no station sits at the start line. There are three ways in: the Metro, a taxi or your own car. The official FAQ (read 2 October 2026) recommends the Metro and says public transport runs as normal. Taxis have drop-off and pick-up points near the start and finish lines. Parking is limited.
Dubai Run 2026 by Metro
The Metro is the simpler way in. Its Red Line runs the length of Sheikh Zayed Road, so there is a station beside each route and no car park to find in the dark. In 2025 the RTA opened it earlier than usual for the morning.
| Which station for Dubai Run 2026? | The station | Where it is |
|---|---|---|
| Running the 5km | Dubai World Trade Centre (official FAQ) | Red Line |
| Running the 10km | Emirates Towers (official FAQ) | Red Line |
| Watching, not running | Max (Khaleej Times advice in 2025) | Red Line, beside Zabeel Park |
Which Metro station should you use for Dubai Run 2026?
The official FAQ names the stations for 2026 and says to have at least AED 15 on your nol card or app. In 2025 the RTA ran the Metro from 03:00 to midnight on the day.
Still not announced as of 2 October 2026: extended Metro hours for 22 November. In 2025 the Metro opened at 03:00 and ran to midnight. We’ll update this section when the RTA publishes the 2026 hours.
Dubai Run 2026 by Car and Parking
In 2025 you parked at Dubai Mall for the 5km, and at the Dubai World Trade Centre car parks for the 10km. Both of them charged the normal tariff, and both left you a walk to the start line.
Confirmed for 2026 (official FAQ, 2 October 2026). Parking is limited. Registered runners will be sent route maps with parking options. If you take a taxi, use the drop-off and pick-up points near the start and finish lines. In 2025 normal car-park tariffs applied and no free parking was offered.
Dubai Run 2026 Rules
You can’t bring a pet, and there is nowhere to leave a bag or change. Those 2026 rules come from the official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ, read 2 October 2026.
- No bag drop and no changing facilities.
- No pets.
- Strollers are allowed on the 5km.
- Children of all ages can take part. Up to three per parent or guardian, and under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.
- Water and medical help. Mai Dubai water stations sit before the start, along the route and at the finish. Medical support is on hand; call 901.
- Toilets. There are a limited number at the start and finish.
How the morning worked in 2025
- You walked onto the closed motorway and started when you reached the line.
- There was no timing chip, no result and no finishing position.
- You stepped aside to stop for a photograph, and left room for faster people to pass.
- The morning also had a Dubai Police supercar parade, drum crews and powered paragliders with lights on them.
- The youngest participant was four months old.
The list under "How the morning worked in 2025" is from 2025. We’ll update it as the 2026 programme is published.
Dubai Run 2026 Participation Numbers
The first Dubai Run in 2019 drew 70,000 people. By 2025 that had reached 307,000, and the number has gone up every year the run used one course.
Dubai Run participation, 2019 to 2025. The 2024 and 2025 figures are the Government of Dubai Media Office’s own; the other four come from press coverage.
2020 is left out on purpose, because that year had no single course and people ran their own routes. The 2020 figure of more than 100,000 cannot be compared with these.
Two of the six figures are official: the Government of Dubai Media Office published the 278,000 and the 307,000 itself. The 70,000, 146,000, 193,000 and 226,000 come from press coverage instead, and none of the six has been checked independently.
Dubai Run 2026: What Dubai Sports Council Has Not Announced Yet
As of 2 October 2026, the official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ covers the timings, the start and finish points, bib and T-shirt collection, children, Metro stations and the on-the-day rules. Everything in this list is still to come.
- The Dubai Run booking link, and the date it opens.
- The arrival time slots you will choose from.
- The RTA road closure notice and its timings.
- The Salik tariff for the morning, and any extended Metro hours.
- The colour of the 2026 T-shirt.
- Dubai Run’s presenting partner for 2026. The official Dubai Run page does not name one.
- The public bib collection hours. They are shared with registered participants.
- Where the other two 2026 Fitness Villages and the Community Fitness Hubs will be. Only the Zabeel Park village has been named.
We’ll replace each of these as it’s published. Our Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026 guide does the same for the other three flagship days.
Dubai Run 2026 Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs
When is Dubai Run 2026?
Dubai Run 2026 will take place on Sunday 22 November 2026. According to the official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ (read 2 October 2026), it starts at 06:30, the start line closes at 08:00 and the event finishes at 09:00. You arrive during the time slot you choose when you register; the slots themselves have not been published. Dubai Run sits inside Dubai Fitness Challenge, which will start on 31 October and finish on 29 November 2026.
Is Dubai Run 2026 registration open, and when will it open?
No, not yet. On 2 October 2026 the official Dubai Run page had no Register button, and no opening date had been announced. Dubai Fitness Challenge sign-up opened from 28 September 2026, according to the official FAQ, and Dubai announced it on 1 October. Dubai Ride booking is open too, but neither gives you a place in the run. Mid-to-late October is the pattern from recent years, because booking opened on 17 October in 2023 and was live by 29 October in 2025. Treat any specific 2026 date quoted elsewhere as unsourced.
Is Dubai Run 2026 free?
Yes. The official Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQ (read 2 October 2026) says every participant registers online for free, for both the 5km and the 10km. The bib, the T-shirt for those who select one at registration, and Mai Dubai water on the route are included. The morning can still cost money. The FAQ advises at least AED 15 on your nol card, and parking is limited. In 2025 the Salik peak toll rose to AED 6 a gate; the 2026 tariff has not been announced. Collecting the bib also means a separate trip to Zabeel Park.
How long is Dubai Run 2026, and can I walk it?
There are two routes, a 5km and a 10km. Both start on Sheikh Zayed Road near the Museum of the Future. The 5km finishes on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard near Dubai Mall, and the 10km at the DIFC Gate Building near Emirates Towers. The official FAQ says it is not a race, so you can run or walk at a comfortable pace. The 10km is for experienced runners. Strollers are allowed on the 5km.
Do I need a bib for Dubai Run 2026, and where do I collect it?
Yes, the bib is mandatory, and you cannot get one on the morning. The official FAQ says bibs and T-shirts are collected at the Dubai Municipality 30x30 Fitness Village in Zabeel Park, from 2 to 21 November 2026. Collection times are shared with registered participants. The T-shirt goes to those who selected one at registration.
Which roads close for Dubai Run 2026, and when?
The official FAQ says roads close on 22 November and tells you to watch the RTA’s official channels. The RTA has not yet issued the 2026 closure notice or times. In 2025 the main closure ran from 03:00 to 10:00 on the Sunday, with roads closing one by one from 20:00 the night before. Every road reopened by 09:30, and Sheikh Zayed Road was shut between Trade Centre Roundabout and the Al Hadiqa Road bridge. Lower Financial Centre Street, one direction of the main Downtown boulevard and one lane of Al Sukook Street closed as well. The RTA opened the Metro at 03:00 that morning in 2025; 2026 hours are not announced.
Can I bring my children, a stroller, a backpack or my dog?
Under the 2026 rules in the official FAQ, children of all ages can take part. A parent or guardian can register up to three children, and under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. Strollers are allowed on the 5km. There is no bag drop and there are no changing facilities, so travel light. Pets are not allowed.
How do I get to Dubai Run 2026?
The official FAQ recommends the Metro. Use Dubai World Trade Centre station for the 5km and Emirates Towers station for the 10km, with at least AED 15 on your nol card or app. Taxis have drop-off and pick-up points near the start and finish lines. Parking is limited, and registered runners get route maps with parking options. Public transport runs as normal.
Sources and method10 sources from 8 publishers · last checked 2 October 2026
Official
- Dubai Fitness Challenge FAQsDubai Run
- Dubai Run dubairun.com
- Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026
- Government of Dubai Media Office Over 300,000 athletes descend on Sheikh Zayed Road for Dubai Run 2025Registration now open for Dubai Run
Reporting and other sources
- Emirates 24/7 Dubai Fitness Challenge: Registration opens for landmark 10th edition
- Khaleej Times Everything to know: Dubai Run 2025
- The National Dubai Run 2025 registration details
- Time Out Dubai Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026
