Friends of Arthritis Patients Society launches its 7th Annual Charity Marathon on Saturday

The Marathon will kick off at Al Mamzar Beach in Sharjah

Sharjah, Thursday, March 9, 2019. - In the largest community sports event, the 7th Annual Charity Marathonwill kick off on Saturday at 3:30 pm along the Al Mamzar beach, till the Al Qasba roundabout in Sharjah, with the participation of thousands of contestants of different ages, nationalities and mental and motor abilities,

Organsied byThe Friends of Arthritis Patients Society (FAPS) ofthe Health Education Department at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, the event will run under the theme'Do not postpone - continue today”.

HE Waheeda Abdul Aziz, Head of the Friends of Arthritis Patients Society, said that the annually organized marathon, which comes in collaboration with Sharjah Police, the Sharjah Sports Council and a number of government institutions in Sharjah, aims to promote community awareness of arthritis, one the common diseases in the UAE. 

It also aims to support patients facing daily challenges and help them enjoy a healthy lifestyle. At the same time, it is an opportunity to highlight the community initiatives organized by the Emirate of Sharjah, which combine health, humanity and sports.

Inviting all members of the community to participate in the eventalong with their families, friends and colleagues at work, Abdul Aziz said that winners of themarathon’s four stages will be honored and granted valuable prizes by the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah and the event sponsors.

This year’s editionincludes 4 different stagestargeting four categories according to the participants’ ages and motor abilities. The first stage has been allocatedto retired men and women, FAP patients and people with motor and mental disabilities, while the second will see children aged 6 - 10 running for 1 kilometer.

A new 3.5-km category was introduced for the first time for men and women with mental disabilities. The fourth stage was devoted to the junior category aged 11-17, while the final stage will span over 6 kilometers and is targetingpeople with mental disabilities and men and women aged 18 and above.