Final Preparations Afoot for Dubai’s Marathon
Dubai™s Standard Chartered Marathon is due to kick off at 7am on Friday 27th January 2012. Entrants will have been training hard for months, in anticipation of the start at Dubai™s iconic Burj Khalifa and route along the Jumeirah Beach Road. The Marathon is fully subscribed, with over 15,000 entrants registered. Last year™s men™s winner, David Barmasai returns to defend his title, against a tough field, including more than 12 entrants who have all beaten his personal best of 2.07.18.
Competition Also Fierce For the 10KM Race
The UAE is represented in the 10Km race by runners including Alia Saeed Mohammed and Betlhem Belayneh Deslagn, who are straight from a 1-2 win at the Arab Games in Doha and are hot favourites for the Dubai race.
Record Breaking Prize Money
The 15,000 entrants are all rewarded with t-shirt, certificate and participation medals with the lucky winner taking home $1,000,000 in prize money.
Feet and Other Aches
Once the runners have completed their phenomenal achievement, whether running dressed as a rhino for charity or chasing the prize money, attention almost inevitably turns to various aches and pains post-run.
Dubai Podiatry Centre™s Chief Podiatrist Michelle Champlin says œWe tend to see a range of post-run issues, ranging from torn or damaged toenails, a variety of strains to the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the foot, ankle and knee as well as degrees of blistering, chafing and cuts. Michelle encourages runners to prepare thoroughly to avoid these issues œIn addition to your months of fitness training, nutrition and so on, runners will have noticed any unusual pain or anomalies and we™ve treated many runners pre-emptively in the approach to the Marathon. Ailments commonly include Achilles tendonitis, shin splints and other biomechanical anomalies which will soon worsen or show up when you start or intensify a training schedule. Treatment modalities have ranged from custom cobra-style orthotics to correct gait or leg length discrepancies, to stretching and icing advice and strapping techniques.
To avoid minor injuries such as toenail trauma, bruising and blistering Michelle advises runners of course to be well rested and hydrated (imbalance in electrolytes is a key cause of muscle cramps), and thoroughly warmed up to minimize the risk of pulling a muscle.
50 Stick with your tried and tested running shoes “ the time to try out your new pair of trainers is not Marathon Day!
51 Strap/tape any weak spots as demonstrated by your physiotherapist/podiatrist.
52 Wear good quality, thick cotton socks with seams that do not pull at the nails.
53 Trim toenails as short as possible to avoid catching and lifting.
54 If blistering is a concern protect feet with a specialist adhesive felt-like material that adheres directly to the skin and prevents abrasion and blisters “ Michelle swears by the ˜Fleece Adhesive Webbing™ sheets which can be trimmed to size, used to dress extreme sports enthusiasts at Dubai Podiatry Centre.
Race Day¦
All the months of hard work, dedication and training are complete. So rest, check your kit bag and transportation arrangements and above all, enjoy it and give yourself a well earned pat on the back at the end of the run for a huge achievement. And if your feet have taken a bashing, there are always the Podiatrists ready at Dubai Podiatry Centre to get you back on your feet.
