A Camel Marathon will be held in Dubai to coincide with the 44th National Day of the UAE, it has been announced.

The first ever Camel Marathon will be held on December in Al Marmoum, according to the organisers Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC).

Total prize money of Dh2 million will be on offer, including luxury cars for the top three, Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmook, CEO of HHC, revealed at a press conference at the launch of the event at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai on Tuesday.

"We at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center are deeply mindful and respectful of our rich cultural legacy, and we consider it our mission to work to strengthen our national identity and build pride and knowledge about our heritage especially amongst our youth," said bin Dalmook.

The marathon aims to promote UAE's deeply-rooted traditional sport of camel racing.

"Under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and in line with his vision to preserve the UAE's heritage through different sports and activities, we are launching this marathon in conjunction with the celebrations of the 44th National Day and we expect more than 1,000 participants," said Al Dalmook who thanked Dubai Camel Racing for their cooperation in organising this marathon for the first time.

"We are hopeful of a successful marathon and we look forward to adding it to our events calendar and holding it again in the coming years," he added.

HHC has opened the door for UAE citizens above 18 years of age who are proficient at camel riding to participate in the marathon without a cap on the number of participants.

"This race is characterised by its distance. Although many camel races are held in the Emirates, this will be the first time that a camel race is held over such a long distance. The rider of the camel will be its owner, not a jockey, which makes the competition more unique and interesting," said Ali Saeed bin Sarood, Director General of Dubai Camel Racing Club which will supervise the race.

"Training and conditioning would play a big role in this marathon, along with the rider's tactics in distributing the camel's effort and in pacing the camel over the long distance. How well the rider understands and assesses his competitors, the racetrack and climatic conditions would also prove decisive," added bin Sarood who said the camels are expected to cover about 10 kilometres an hour.

Valuable prizes will be awarded to the first 50 winners, including cash prizes to the winners from the fourth to the 50th positions

Source: Emirates 24/7