News
Now that the weather’s finally cooled, Dubai’s beaches are back in business. Sunrise runs are filling the shoreline again, and the 5 AM running clubs are thriving. But long before the city laced up for its coastal sprints, a select group of runners took on something far tougher.
Back in April, Nike gathered thirty athletes for a surprise challenge that started in Dubai and ended at the top of Jebel Hafeet, considered one of the UAE’s steepest climbs. None of them knew where they were headed until they got there. Waiting at the summit was AREA 72, a Nike pop-up performance space built for recovery, precision and grit. With legends like Sir Mo Farah and Winfred Yavi joining the run, the group took on a brutal 10-kilometre uphill stretch that pushed everyone to their limits and set the tone for what was coming next.
Fast-forward to October, and Nike brought that same spirit back home and this time, to the beach. From 10 to 17 October, Kite Beach transformed into a coastal version of AREA 72: a “no run, no entry” zone designed for the city’s growing running community. The week-long takeover blended recovery, training, and community with group runs at sunrise and sunset, capped at sixty participants each, plus solo sessions for those chasing their own rhythm.
Inside the activation, runners had access to guided coaching sessions, Hyperice recovery tools including their Normatec compression boots, mobility gear, and expert-led workshops. It was built to make training feel smarter and be a celebration of consistency and choice over competition.
That idea, The Power of Choice, ran through Nike’s latest road-running collection too. Whether you’re sprinting through the city in the Pegasus, clocking long miles in the Vomero, or chasing stability in the Structure, the message was clear and it was that different roads call for different tools. And in Dubai, where every new season brings a fresh start, that road just might lead from the mountains to the sea.
