Rhonex Kipruto from Kenya stormed to victory in the UAE Healthy Kidney 10 kilometre race in New York on Sunday, breaking the course record of 27:35 in a time of 27:08.
The 18 year old from Kenya delivered the fastest ever 10k road race time on US soil and as well as the US$10,000 prize money, also claimed the US$30,000 Zayed Bonus Prize for the record in a UAE-sponsored race - also known as the Zayed Charity Marathon - which raises funds for kidney research.
"The weather was very cold but we managed to do it," Kipruto told The National minutes after winning. "It feels good. I was not expecting to win."
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More coverage of the Zayed Marathon from New York:
How the UAE supports research into a disease that afflicted the Founding Father
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His compatriot Mathew Kimeli came second and also broke the record, while Ethiopian Buze Diriba took the female race with a time of 32:04. “I’m very happy. It’s an important and big race,” she said.
Now in its 14th year, the run is sponsored by the UAE Embassy, organised by the New York Road Runners (NYRR) and supports the National Kidney Foundation’s work. Since 2005 there has been more than a $1 million raised between direct donations and the runners themselves. The race also partly stems from the kidney transplant that the late President, Sheikh Zayed, received in the United States.
Close to 8,000 runners from across the globe, both professional and amateur, set off around Central Park at 9am. A cold start and early morning rain gave way to reasonably sunny skies by 11am.
Across the route, Year of Zayed logos, Emirati and US flags and runners wearing shirts from previous UAE 10k races could be seen. A festival area in Central Park’s bandshell allowed people to sample Emirati culture while a guest appearance by singer Flo Rida energised the post-race crowds.
Majid Al Suwaidi is consul general of the United Arab Emirates in New York and also ran the race.
“This race is really critical in terms of how many people through this learn so much about the need for kidney research and also about the patients,” he said.
“Our president, Sheikh Zayed, was a sufferer who was treated here in New York and this really celebrates him and raises awareness,” said Mr Al Suwaidi.
“This race is so well known in New York City and I feel very proud throughout the year when I see people wearing UAE shirts, remembering Sheikh Zayed and especially in this Year of Zayed, it’s important to celebrate the amazing things he did for our country.”
Two Emiratis representing Dubai Municipality also travelled from the UAE for the race and spoke beforehand about their pride.
“This race is a special event,” said Hashim al Quraishi, 47.
“It’s a Zayed race in the Year of Zayed so we are so proud. We are amateurs but love running and are here to participate and represent our country.”
Sultan Al Saadi, 27, said: “I follow news of the race every year through social media. I’m happy to participate.”
At the festival area, sponsors including the Al Habtoor Group, the National Kidney Foundation, Dubai Municipality and more had a presence there and prizes were given out to lucky participants including a return trip to Abu Dhabi. Emirati volunteers were also helping people to learn about the country.
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Read more:
Boy gets new lease of life after successful kidney transplant in Abu Dhabi
Public opinion shifts in favour of organ donation, says top surgeon
UAE's largest organ unit receiving calls 'every day' from prospective donors
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“I feel really proud,” said Emirati Ahmed Al Marzooqi, 28, who is doing a PhD in organisational leadership in Los Angeles and is from Abu Dhabi.
“People ask about our culture, our food and the story of our country – how it developed and went from a desert to having the tallest building in the world.”
People milled around after the race, sampled dates, heard about Expo 2020, looked at an installation of Sheikh Zayed and also some got traditional henna while sitting in a majlis area. “I used to get it on my past travels,” said Rosey Marchioii, 50, who was getting henna after finishing the run.
“I do the [run] every year, it’s a great run and they have awesome giveaways. I would say the best giveaways. And it’s for a good cause,” said Ms Marchioii, who is from Italy but has been living in New York for 20 years.
The UAE Healthy Kidney 10k run has become so popular in New York that it's now seen as the kick off to the spring racing series.
Peter Ciaccia is president of events at the NYRR.
“[It’s just] the whole atmosphere in the park: the trees are blooming, it looks really pretty and it’s the whole experience. Having the Embassy of the UAE as our partner for all these years allowed us to bring in these great pro-racers. We are very thankful and they are a great partner,” he said.
“What is really cool is what’s on display is what their culture is all about. The connection with the kidney foundation is also really important,” said Mr Ciaccia.
A delegation from the UAE including General Mohammed Al Kaabi, chairman of the UAE Armed Forces Officers Club, and Mohammed Khalaf Al Habtoor, vice chairman of the Al Habtoor Group attended the race along with dignitaries based in the United States.
The UAE team visited the National Kidney Foundation during the week to see how funds are being spent. They also visited the Nasdaq stock exchange and the famous display facing Times Square lit up with the Emirati flag.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000
Available: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2-litre%204-cylinder%20petrol%20(V%20Class)%3B%20electric%20motor%20with%2060kW%20or%2090kW%20powerpack%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20233hp%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20204hp%20(EQV%2C%20best%20option)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20350Nm%20(V%20Class%2C%20best%20option)%3B%20TBA%20(EQV)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMid-2024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETBA%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Results
Stage 4
1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma 04:16:13
2. Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
General Classification:
1. Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 16:46:15
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:35
4. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
As it stands in Pool A
1. Japan - Played 3, Won 3, Points 14
2. Ireland - Played 3, Won 2, Lost 1, Points 11
3. Scotland - Played 2, Won 1, Lost 1, Points 5
Remaining fixtures
Scotland v Russia – Wednesday, 11.15am
Ireland v Samoa – Saturday, 2.45pm
Japan v Scotland – Sunday, 2.45pm
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
