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Some are chasing personal bests. Others found running through a community run or a promise to try something new. Our Burj2Burj 2027 ambassadors bring their own reasons for running, with a shared interest in helping more people get involved.
Ahead of 24 January, get to know the people sharing their training and encouraging runners in Dubai and further afield. You might recognise a familiar face or find someone whose story sounds a little like yours.
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Country: Sudan
Husam, also known as Mr. Transformer, began his fitness journey in 2018 weighing over 130 kg. Today, he's a long-distance runner, certified personal trainer, nutritionist and CrossFit Level 1 coach. As the founder of TIBID Community, he draws on his own experience to help others build healthier habits and find confidence through movement.
Country: Australia
Darcie is a Dubai-based cabin crew member and content creator whose first half-marathon was Burj2Burj. That experience introduced her to friendships and a running community that made Dubai feel like home. Now training for her first marathon and helping lead a social running community, she wants others to know they can become runners without a sporting background.
Country: United Arab Emirates
Noura is an Emirati long-distance runner who balances competitive training with her role as a Corporate Internal Audit Manager in Dubai. She enjoys exploring sports science and strength training, with cycling and snowboarding also part of her active life. Returning as a Burj2Burj ambassador for 2027, she's looking forward to sharing her training and celebrating fellow runners' progress.
Country: Lebanon
Rawad has been running for six years, using the sport to test what he's capable of and enjoying the feeling that follows a run. His advice to beginners is simple: take it slowly and build your distance gradually. Once the run is done, his ideal recovery routine includes an iced americano and avocado toast.
Country: United Kingdom
Vanessa is a finance lawyer who has called Dubai home since 2022. Running helped her rebuild after major surgery in 2023, teaching her patience and restoring her confidence. Since then, she's completed multiple half-marathons, triathlons and HYROX events. Alongside working towards longer distances, she values the friendships she's made through Dubai's running community.
Country: Togo
Ghani is a running coach at LK Running Performance who has run since childhood and began taking the sport seriously in 2016. Running has opened doors in his own life, and he values the friendships and sense of family he's found through it. Through coaching, he helps others get moving and discover how running can change their lives too.
Country: Syria
Abdulhamid is a team captain with 530 Run who enjoys helping his community work towards their running goals. His own achievements include a sub-90-minute Burj2Burj and a sub-3:30 ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon. Through Arabic-language training content, he shares the progress behind those results and supports runners across Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.
Country: United Arab Emirates
Abdulla has taken on distances up to 50 km, with a sub-four-hour marathon and a 1:36 half-marathon among his achievements. A photographer and videographer by profession, he brings that eye for storytelling to his running too. For Burj2Burj, he wants to help more people feel ready to take on their first half-marathon.
Country: France
Chloe ran her first marathon in under three hours and has raced across Europe and the UAE. Now based in Dubai, she's getting to know the city's run clubs and the people behind them. A qualified personal trainer, she wants to encourage runners taking on their first half-marathon as well as those chasing a personal best.
Country: Philippines
After struggling through a 45-minute community run with Uncommon Club, Dorothy promised herself she'd run a marathon a year later. She went on to complete the Dubai Marathon and her first ultra at Tarawera in New Zealand. Having previously supported Burj2Burj with her club, she's now preparing to take part herself and share her experience with newer runners.
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Country: United Kingdom
Harvey is an online fitness coach and content creator who runs with U Stride Run Club. He enjoys sharing his running through engaging, light-hearted content, and counts his Burj2Burj personal best among his proudest achievements. He's returning for 2027 to share the build-up and his experience of the race with his community.
Country: United Kingdom
Jade is a personal trainer and Barry's instructor with more than a decade of running experience. She's raced in cities including New York, Berlin and Chicago, and is working towards completing 12 half-marathons with a running stroller. Through her own training, she hopes to encourage more mums to make room for running and pursue their goals alongside family life.
Country: United Kingdom
Jevanni is the founder of Dubai run club Off Pace, as well as a DJ, lawyer and podcaster. Returning to running after injury taught him to give recovery and consistent training the attention they needed. Burj2Burj was his first half-marathon, and he now brings that experience to a community that welcomes runners from different backgrounds.
Country: Spain
Maialen has been running since 2018 and is part of the Oysho community in Spain. She's raced in Paris and Lisbon, with a 1:45 at the Barcelona Half Marathon among her proudest achievements. For Burj2Burj 2027, she'll be sharing her preparation and introducing her Spanish running community to the experience of racing in Dubai.
Country: India
Mitsu is a running coach and yoga instructor who helps amateur runners build training habits they can sustain. She finished her first marathon in under four hours and earned a third-place podium finish. Based in India, she shares the ups and downs of training and wants to help newer runners enjoy the process as they discover what they can do.
Country: United Arab Emirates
Mohammed is the founder of OCR Empire in Dubai, a personal trainer and an obstacle course racing coach. His running and coaching experience spans more than a decade, but building a community is the achievement he's proudest of. He brings that same approach to Burj2Burj, helping runners of different levels train together and support each other's progress.
Country: Bahrain
Nahar is a running coach from Bahrain who has been running since 2011. She's taken part in Burj2Burj twice and enjoys taking her time to soak up the atmosphere along the route. Having encouraged friends to join her in previous editions, she's returning to share what keeps bringing her back and represent her Bahraini running community.
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Country: South Africa
For Nolusindiso, running has helped her build healthier habits and find a supportive community. Dubai was her first overseas trip, and taking part in Burj2Burj remains one of her proudest running experiences. Through her content, she shares how running has changed her everyday life and encourages people who haven't tried it yet to give it a go.
Country: Philippines
Patrick is a photographer and content creator who runs with Runkwa in the UAE. He took on his second half-marathon at Burj2Burj and runs for the positive effect it has on his mental wellbeing. Having once felt that he wasn't a runner, he shares relatable experiences that help others feel more comfortable joining in.
Country: India
Sadique is a marathon runner and ADNOC firefighter who has raced in Berlin, Chicago, New York, Tokyo and London. At the 2026 London Marathon, he ran in a kandura as a tribute to the UAE. Through his training and race experiences, he hopes to encourage more people to build consistent habits and take on their own running challenges.
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Country: Australia
Veronica is a personal trainer, cabin crew member and mum of two who fits running around family life and flights. Burj2Burj 2025 was her first half-marathon after having her two children, making it a particularly meaningful achievement. She hopes to encourage other mums and cabin crew to pursue their fitness goals, even with busy schedules and changing time zones.
