Doha Festival City, Qatar’s leading destination for shopping, entertainment, and modern living, in cooperation with the Qatar Sports for All Federation and under the umbrella of the Ministry of Sports and Youth, hosted RunFest 2026 on Friday, September 25, with the participation of around 800 runners representing more than 40 nationalities. Qataris accounted for approximately 25% of the total participants, while the indoor running event attracted around 2,000 spectators. The event featured runners ranging in age from 4 to 60 years, each striving to achieve their personal health goals and enhance their physical fitness.

RunFest featured five race categories: the 10 km race, the 5 km race, the 1 km recreational run, the 1 km children’s race, and the 500 m toddlers’ race. In the men’s 10 km race, Andrew Jones topped the standings with a time of 34:45 minutes, followed by Samuel Njagi in second place with a time of 36:54 minutes, and Soken Thapa in third place with a time of 37:57 minutes. In the women’s 10 km race, Soledad Dominguez took first place with a time of 45:25 minutes, followed by Nuria Sainz in second place with a time of 48:36 minutes, and Imelda Bo in third place with a time of 59:27 minutes.

The event received the support of a distinguished group of partners, including Monoprix, Sports Corner, Shoebox, and Foot Locker. Their contributions enriched the participants’ experience and supported the event’s broader objective of encouraging movement, promoting wellness, and fostering community engagement, while adding further energy and vibrancy to the various race categories and accompanying activities.

For his part, Turol Kummert, Asset Management Director at Doha Festival City, commented: “The strong turnout witnessed at RunFest 2026 reflects our community’s growing interest in experiences that support healthier and more active lifestyles. Through our collaboration with the Qatar Sports for All Federation, we are proud to provide an inclusive platform that brings members of the community together, encourages them to achieve their personal goals, and makes wellness part of everyday life.”

Commenting on the strong turnout at the event, Mr. Abdullah Al-Dosari, Executive Director of the Qatar Sports for All Federation, said: “RunFest 2026 brought together all segments of society, including children and young people, adults and seniors, families, beginners, experienced runners, and people with disabilities, reaffirming that sport is for everyone and that community events can bring together all members of the family. This festival represents an important milestone in our collaboration with Doha Festival City and reflects our shared vision of providing sporting and community activities that welcome everyone and offer diverse opportunities to engage in physical activity in an encouraging and enjoyable atmosphere.”

Al-Dosari noted that the community’s engagement with RunFest serves as an incentive for the Federation to continue developing its programmes, which aim to encourage members of the community to engage in regular physical activity and make walking and movement part of their daily routines. He also highlighted the “5,000 Steps” Challenge as one of the key initiatives supporting this objective, encouraging mall visitors to increase their activity during their visits and record their steps through the Qatar Sports for All Federation’s app.

The event forms part of Doha Festival City’s broader health and wellness strategy, which includes the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Qatar Sports for All Federation in June 2026 under the umbrella of the Ministry of Sports and Youth. This partnership represents a key pillar of the mall’s wellness programme, particularly its weekly community running event held every Friday, which recorded more than 6,000 participations between May and August 2026.