“I met a lot of people and learned a lot about Ramadan and the culture of Dubai and the places that we've seen,” says Camilo Echavia, a 34-year-old fitness and dragon boat coach who completed the 30-day run a few years ago.

Runmadan founder Pisuena has made sure the run is not just fun but informative. “When we make our stops, I tell the runners about the architectural design and history behind each mosque,” the Dubai-based architect says.

Business woman Marge Gomez, 40, joined the run in 2013 and hasn’t stopped since. 

“It’s an adventure and we go from mosque to mosque around the UAE,” Gomez says, adding that the run starts just after sundown.

She says that runners prepare themselves physically and mentally before the exercise. “We make sure we get enough sleep, and we eat at least three hours before the run,” she says.

The self-confessed “slow runner” says that since doing her daily runs during Ramadanm her health and endurance have improved. 

“I even ran the Dubai Marathon after that and I joined a lot of running challenges,” she says.

Her most memorable run with the group? Bur Dubai. “I love the mosques in Bur Dubai… After the run we rode an abra and paid one dirham. It was fun,” she says.

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