It was six in the morning and the sun was still not out, but around 1,000 cyclists had already gathered at the Union House Dubai, eager to hit the road for 150km Flat to Flag marathon.
Folk music as well as the greens, whites, reds and blacks welcomed the participants for the first Flat to Flag cycle ride to mark the 42nd UAE National Day.
A tribute to the Union Flag, the marathon began at 7am from the Union House, where Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan raised the UAE flag for the first time 42 years ago.
Designed as a community event rather than as a race, the arena at the Union House buzzed with chatter, laughter and camaraderie as the participants reflected the true spirit of UAE, where people of various nationalities live together peacefully.
From high school students and disabled cyclists to government officials and professional cyclists, all joined in to show their passion for the country.
"It's so wonderful to see so many people joining the marathon today, particularly the expatriates, who are here to show their love for cycling as well as for their adopted home," said Khalid Al Kamda, Director General of Community Development Authority Dubai, who is a regular cyclist.
Among the participants was also a young girl, Shaikh Eisa, 13, a member of UAE national cycling team, who paddled ahead with pride as her sport finally gets recognition.
"I'm happy to see so many people participating in the marathon today, which is a celebration of the nation as well as the sport," said Shaikha, who participated along with her friends.
Apart from those who are regular cyclists, a number of people joined in to show their passion for the country and share in the joy of National Day.
"UAE is a great country and it is a wonderful place to live, particularly because of its standards of living and its safe and secure environment. I am here today to show my appreciation for all that I have got from this country. But I would also like to draw attention towards the plight of cyclists and call on everybody to show respect to cyclists on roads," said Rodgie Paje, 34, a Filipino systems engineer.
The marathon ended at the Abu Dhabi corniche at 2pm, where the participants were awarded medals of appreciation.
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