Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Triathlete and three-time Ironman finisher Dana Zubari has laced up her trainers yet again to inspire people to seek an active lifestyle by participating in a global running competition aimed at promoting vitality.
The 37-year-old managing director and co-founder of Tru Active, which is a colourful and comfortable sportswear fashion line, has joined the Vitality Running World Cup (VRWC) movement which kicked off on March 5.
The annual global competition, which will end on April 5, is a free-to-enter, knockout-style race designed to encourage people to get more active.
Nick Beresford, founder of VRWC in 2018, said: “It gives everyone a chance to take pride in where they are from and represent their country whilst encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle. We hope to inspire the next generation of runners and get more than one million people participating.”
Dana will be joining the likes of Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt, who is captaining Jamaica, Vitality ambassador for the UK Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, and Rio 2016 Champion and Discovery Vitality ambassador Wayde van Niekerk, who will lead for South Africa, in the competition.
She is excited to be captaining Bahrain. She said: “Winning the cup would definitely mean a lot. We are proving that this little island has what it takes to get up to the finals. Especially here in Bahrain, we have so many runners and so many people training for full marathons. We can definitely be strong candidates to win this.”
Having an active lifestyle comes as second nature to Dana. She lives and breathes sport, which is why she has been involved in creating initiatives to encourage women on the island to be and stay active by co-founding Cycling Bees with Sarah Al Sammak and co-founding Lettuce Run with triathlete star and Ironman finisher Mariam Turki.
She has competed in three Ironman 70.3 races. Her first Ironman 70.3 was in Mallorca, Spain where she was sponsored by the Nasser Bin Hamad Foundation to compete as one of Bahrain’s female Ironman 70.3 finishers in May 2013. She was the first Bahraini female to complete Ironman in Spain. After having her daughter Layla, she began training for her second 70.3 that took place in Bahrain on December 2016. Leading up to her third 70.3, she took part in a relay team for Ironman Bahrain where she competed in the swim in December 2017.
Her third Ironman 70.3 took place in Dubai in 2018 where she turned 35 and came in first place in the GCC female category. She also ran two marathons, one in Dubai in 2013 and the other in Barcelona in 2017.
Participating in the competition is simple; individuals can register via www.runningworldcup.com and every run registered via a smartphone or fitness device, which is at least 3km within 30 minutes, contributes towards their country’s total. Countries with the highest number of kilometres run relative to their country size and device penetration will progress to the knockout stages.
Each person who completes their first qualifying run (3 kilometres in 30 minutes) will receive a digital goody bag with more than $100 of vouchers and discounts for exciting brands and services. Even if a country is knocked out of the competition, participants can still accumulate kilometres as part of a weekly Vitality goal and be rewarded for it.
Dana added: “Come join me! It is absolutely free and the more people who run, the more chance we have of winning. I believe a healthy active lifestyle not only benefits your physical well-being but it also helps you with your mental well-being.”
Every participant who completes three kilometres in under 30 minutes on a smartphone or fitness device contributes towards their country’s total.
To find out more about the Vitality Running World Cup and to register visit: www.runningworldcup.com
