We’re at that rare time of the year when Halloween briefly intersects with the Dubai Fitness Challenge. And no event better encapsulates this quite like Dubai Festival City Mall's Halloween Run.
The spooktacular evening run took place on Saturday, in partnership with Race Me and Dubai Sports Council. Ghouls and ghosts of all ages and abilities were invited to compete, dressed to distress.
Participants were given the choice between two route options – a 2.5-kilometre fun run and a 5km race for more serious runners – taking them on the promenade area of Dubai Festival City, starting from Festival Bay to Marsa Plaza and back.
A number of runners from all age groups gathered from 6.30pm onwards, all dressed in their Halloween best, for the race that began at 8pm. This included everything from Squid Game costumes, superhero capes, to vampire and witch outfits.
The event took more than an hour, with the route featuring a number of spooky elements and decor – including a haunted tunnel. There were some sweet moments in between too, as the fun run included pit stops where participants could collect treats from spectators and staff.
For pictures of the terror-fuelled run, scroll through the gallery above.
Adding to the eerie vibe was the Imagine laser show, which had a Halloween-themed display running every 30 minutes during the event.
The Dubai Festival City Mall run concluded with a fancy dress prize, with winners getting a giant Halloween hamper for their effort. Winning costumes included that of a Squid Game character and a green witch.
Meanwhile, everyone wearing Halloween costumes was awarded a hat and a bag of sweets.
The Halloween Run was launched this year in an effort to "bring joy to everyone while also promoting a healthy lifestyle among residents and visitors". It's one of the many races and runs taking place in Dubai this season, including Dubai Festival City's Santa Run in December.
