Family Health Run at The Ripe Market 2026

The Family Health Run at The Ripe Market 2026 brings Dubai runners of every age to Dubai Police Academy on Sunday 13 December, for Run 2 of Promoseven Sports’ Community Run Series. Under the series banner “Six Runs. One Season.”, this December morning offers four distances on a traffic-free loop opposite Mall of the Emirates, with the 15km and 10km fields setting off first at 7am and the youngest runners following soon after.

Run 2 in a six-race season

The 2026 to 2027 Community Run Series is built as a season of six events at The Ripe Market, each with its own name and mood. Run 1 opened the season on 4 October, and the Family Health Run is the second stop. After it come three evening races, the Health Reset night run on 10 January, Night Wellness on 14 February and the Community Finale on 2 May, plus a morning Healthy Living Celebration on 14 March. That makes 13 December one of only two morning starts left in the season, and the last race before the new year.

Runners planning to do several races can look at the six-run Season Pass on the Promoseven Sports website, which covers the whole calendar in one entry.

Four distances, staggered starts

The starts are spaced a few minutes apart so the course never gets crowded:

• 15km at 7:00am, minimum age 10
• 10km at 7:00am, minimum age 10
• 5km at 7:05am, minimum age 5
• 2.5km at 7:10am, minimum age 3

Hopasports rates the course as easy, and results are split into age bands, from a 3 to 7 group in the 2.5km up to 60 and over in every distance, so a grandparent and a toddler can both race in their own category. You must run the distance you registered for, as changes on the day are not allowed.

The course around Dubai Police Academy

The route is a well-marked, scenic loop around the Dubai Police Academy grounds, home to The Ripe Market’s weekend market in Academy Park. It is closed to traffic and supported by Dubai Police and event marshals, with medical staff and ambulances on site. The start line sits about 100 metres from The Ripe Market entrance: drivers turn left on entering the Police Academy from Umm Suqeim Street, follow the parking signs and then walk through the market to registration.

What every runner gets

• A finisher medal for completing your distance
• A race bib with a timing chip (bib on the front, chip on the back)
• Race photos and an online certificate
• Water at the start, along the route and after the finish, with MonViso as official hydration partner
• Refreshments, toilets, changing rooms and showers

The Hopasports listing also notes a post-run celebration with family fun, and says the run supports The Child Fund through the Al Jalila Foundation.

Race morning and registration

There is no pre-race pack collection: bibs are handed out at the venue on race day only, from 6am until 6:55am, so the window before the first gun is tight. Registration is online through Hopasports, linked from the Promoseven Sports event page, and is listed as closing on Saturday 12 December or earlier if the field fills. Up to seven days before the race you can request a refund minus a 10% admin fee, and before registration closes you can switch distance or transfer your place to another runner. Teams and companies can arrange group entries by emailing the organisers.

The series runs under the auspices of Dubai Sports Council, with Ripe, Dubai Police and Heroes of Hope UAE among its partners.

Who will enjoy it

With a 2.5km option open from age three, this is one of the easiest ways to get a whole family across a finish line in Dubai. The 5km suits newer runners and parents running with older children, while the 15km gives club runners a solid winter training effort before the bigger races of the season.

Find more sports events in the UAE, read about the organiser on our Promoseven Sports page, browse kids events in Dubai, or plan the rest of the month with things to do in December.