Beshara | The National

Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.

Athletes compete in the Open Masters Games Abu Dhabi 2026, at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi. Getty Images

Who knew you could experience a "runner's high" just being around runners?

I attended one of Dubai's most famous races this weekend, standing at the finish line of the Burj2Burj Half Marathon to support friends who were participating. And let me tell you, the energy was electric.

People of different ages and backgrounds ran side by side, cheering each other on like lifelong friends. Nothing compares to the communal feeling of pride, achievement and inspiration that comes from group sporting events.

That runner's high, the feeling of euphoria after an intense workout, was palpable and definitely contagious. I can only imagine how many people standing on the sidelines made the decision yesterday to take up running or sign up for a marathon.

As The National's editorial reads today: "It sometimes takes a big event to inspire people to adopt new habits and change the way they live." Whether that's the Burj2Burj race in Dubai or the Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi, choosing to prioritise your health could very well be the best decision you make.

"Over the coming days, people who are not competing will see others participating and think, ‘Why not me? Maybe I can do this next time,'" says Jens Holm, chief executive of the International Masters Games Association.

As someone who once asked that question, made the choice and has never looked back since, I can wholeheartedly tell you the benefits are infinite. So let this be the moment to start taking care of yourself, for your own good and those around you.

Do you have a Beshara you'd like to share with us? You can reach me at FAlMahmoud@thenationalnews.com.

Sarab Atway describes practising yoga in the occupied West Bank as a 'form of resistance'

Sarab Atway, 42, has been teaching yoga since 2014. The mother of three says the practice gave her a “sense of self and safety” that she now hopes to offer her Palestinian students.

“Yoga offers consistency – something incredibly rare in Palestine,” she tells The National. As such, she has learnt to adapt her classes to better cater to her students and the realities of living under occupation.

“In Palestine, being late to yoga is not disrespectful, it's survival. I don’t lock the door because I know students may be navigating winding roads, traffic, or checkpoints just to arrive. Sometimes, even 20 minutes of yoga is the only peace they'll experience that day. I don't believe in creating yet another barrier.”

- Mohamed Selim, 31, an Egyptian biomedical engineer, was diagnosed with MS four years ago but refuses to let it limit him. He will run at the Open Masters Games in Abu Dhabi this week.

Bad Bunny performs in the historic Super Bowl half-time show. PA

Bad Bunny made history on Sunday with his 13-minute Super Bowl half-time show. My colleague Saeed Saeed describes it perfectly in his review, calling the performance a "party and protest".

"This was a large, unapologetic celebration, not only of Puerto Rican culture, but of what good pop music does, period," he writes.

The show was performed almost entirely in Spanish, a first in the event's nearly 60-year history. Saeed describes it as "an invitation to explore each other’s cultures and recognise that there are often more similarities than differences". "That alone makes it one of the more significant half-time shows of recent years," he adds.

The message behind the performance, which drew a rebuke from US President Donald Trump, was underlined in the closing moments, when Bad Bunny held up a football inscribed with the phrase "together we are America" and stood beneath a banner bearing the message: “The only thing stronger than hate is love.”