Huairou is preparing to host the event for a second straight year, with final preparations underway, WAM reported.
About 15,000 participants from China and around the world are expected on Sunday for the Great Wall Marathon (ماراثون سور الصين العظيم) and Zayed Charity Run (سباق زايد الخيري). The field includes 100 runners from the UAE. Half of the proceeds will support Huairou Hospital and the local community.
The Great Wall Marathon and Zayed Charity Run are scheduled for September 27, 2026, in Huairou.
Two distances bring runners to Huairou
The programme features a full marathon of 42 kilometres and a half marathon of 21 kilometres, WAM confirmed. The UAE delegation includes runners, organisers, media representatives and officials. Competitors from several nationalities will take part in an event that combines sport with community participation and cultural exchange.
The UAE's sporting activity in China also includes Rashid Al Mulla's Shanghai campaign, another international appearance by a UAE athlete.
The event is being organised in cooperation with local Chinese municipal and sports authorities and has support from several major UAE sponsors.
Hospital visit puts the charitable pledge in focus
Race representatives are scheduled to visit Huairou Hospital on September 26, the day before the race, and meet its management. Half of the proceeds are set aside for the hospital and the local community.
Team (Ret.) محمد هلال الكعبي, chairman of the organising committee, said each international edition carries a message beyond the finish line: a sporting event can support people and communities wherever it takes place. In a statement reported by WAM, he said the allocation for Huairou Hospital "demonstrates the tangible impact" of the initiative and turns taking part in sport into a humanitarian contribution.
أحمد ساري المزروعي, secretary-general of the Emirates Red Crescent Authority, said the organisation's participation reflects its humanitarian mission. WAM also reported that sport is viewed as a way to build solidarity and closer ties between communities.
The pledge is clear. Half the proceeds will go to Huairou Hospital and the local community. The race covers kilometres, but its support for local people is part of the plan too.
