Last summer, many opted to wear sports shoes and head to the malls instead of escaping the heat of Dubai. Now, that popular idea is back; but this time it's longer and bigger.

The 'Dubai Marathon' event, which turned Dubai's major shopping centers into running and walking routes last year, will become a three-month program in 2026. This initiative will take place from June 15 to September 15 at several malls in the city.

This decision was made at the directive of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan, who described the widespread success of the previous edition as a sign of sports becoming part of the lifestyle in Dubai.

The main goal of the 'Dubai Marathon' is simple: to allow people to exercise without dealing with the intense summer heat. Last year, routes of 10 kilometers, 5 kilometers, 2.5 kilometers, and free walking were designed for participants.

The final list of host malls for 2026 has not yet been announced, but last year centers like Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Hills, and Dubai Marina Mall were transformed into indoor sports tracks.

The finale of the previous edition even included a 42-kilometer marathon, and at Deira Hills Mall, a Guinness World Record was set for the most participants in a mall running event, where 1,392 people of various nationalities and ages ran together.

In a city where summer usually drives people to enclosed spaces, now those enclosed spaces are set to get people moving again.