Doha

Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) will launch a range of competitions and activities, designed to encourage the local community to be active and participate in sports, this month.
Running until April 2016, the line-up includes activities such as the Aspire Run in the Park, Kids Art in the Park, Aspire School Kids Run, Aspire Zone Open Aquathon, Aspire Splash and Dash and the Aspire Triathlon GMC TriSeries, according to a statement.
The activities will be held at Aspire Zone’s various venues, including Aspire Park, Hamad Aquatic Centre and others.
Abdullah al-Khater, events manager at AZF, said: “Our latest line-up of activities is just part of a larger, year-round programme that the foundation organises as part of its ongoing efforts to encourage the community to be active and adopt healthy lifestyles.”
The Aspire Run in the Park begins on November 7 and takes place at Aspire Park. It includes a 2.5km Junior Race (for ages 10-15), which starts at 8am, and a 5km Senior Race (for ages 13-18), which begins at 8.45am.
Subsequent races take place on December 12, January 16 (2016) and February 13. To register and for more information on rules and regulations, one can visit www.lifeinaspire.qa
AZF is also organising the Aspire School Kids Run, which aims to encourage schoolchildren to engage in sports and fitness, follow healthy lifestyles and explore Aspire Park and its different facilities.
Schoolchildren aged 7-12 years will compete in 1km races in four groups of 50, split into boys and girls. Students interested in participating can register through their school.
In addition, Aspire Park will also host the Kids Art in the Park event, consisting of fun and educational activities designed to help children be creative and try different art projects.
Kids Art in the Park will take place every Saturday in a tent behind the main children’s playground at Aspire Park, starting on November 14 and ending on March 26 (2016).
AZF will also host the Aspire Triathlon GMC TriSeries, Qatar’s leading triathlon series that brings together contestants of all ages and fitness levels, the statement notes. The triathlon includes 14 non-competitive races that will begin on November 14, which include a 50m swimming race, a 5km cycling race and a 1.25km running race.
Three competitive races will follow these on November 28, February 20 (2016) and April 30. The races will be held across different venues at Aspire Zone, including Hamad Aquatic Centre.
In October, the foundation launched the 2015-2016 season of the Aspire Zone Aquathon series, which takes place on November 21 and 27 and April 16 (2016). The Aquathon is open for everyone aged eight years and above, and includes running and swimming races.
The Aspire Splash and Dash event has also been extended until December 26 after attracting a large number of participants and significant levels of interest, the statement adds.
Now in its second year, the programme involves running and swimming activities organised in the Aspire Dome, where participants can access the swimming pool and air-conditioned Indoor Athletics Track to improve their fitness and health.