Bob Neal's Staging Area

Dubai race organizers have ruined their race. It’s apparent from the changes were made only out of logistical convenience rather than participant preference. In sum, they decided to replace a fast & flat course along the spectator-lined Jumeriah Beach coast with a race in the middle of nowhere (completely abandoned Dubai Expo City) where you run up several long, gradual grades on an 8-lane highway with ZERO spectators for 30km. The finish is better, with a fair amount of spectators, but marathoners have to weave in and out of hundreds of 4km race walkers for the last 1km since they share the same finish line. All three of us ran personal worst times. Hardly any electrolyte drinks offered, small bottles of water, and ZERO food along the course. Many other complaints as well (no expo, race medals handed out 1 km from finish line, nothing more than a cookie offered at finish, the list is never-ending) just a disaster of a race. Why Dubai cannot create an awesome destination-type marathon, perhaps a night race, which starts at the Marina and finishes at the Burj Khalifa is beyond me. So many runners would pay a huge premium to take part in an event like that.