First organised in 2011, the Doha College 5km and 10km race has gathered pace every year, turning into a popular, much-anticipated fixture in Qatar’s sporting calendar.

The race has grown in popularity as well as performance levels, with runner times each year being on par with professionals, as shown by these figures for the 10k category:

Some races see returning winners’ year on year, while others see new-comer medalists such as last year’s Rachid Boudalla, an employee of the Ministry of Defense, or 2016’s 5k winner Michael Douglas Ongeri, a Kenyan security guard. Some of the overall winners came from the junior or veteran categories, so while the quality of the race is guaranteed – as established by many glowing reviews on www.premieronline.com or www.stuweb.co.uk – the final results are not always predictable. This is a testament to the race being a fair opportunity for all, and a platform for new talent to emerge.

Supported by Aspire Zone, the Doha College Race attracts large numbers of participants, starting from 300 back in 2011 to around 1,000 in more recent years. Some people walk, some jog, some take an “interval” approach. Some do it for their own health and fitness, some do it for special causes, while others do it to just enjoy the outdoors and the green surroundings of the astonishingly beautiful Aspire Park. This setting, ideally equipped for all kinds of physical activity around its outdoors track, boasts the iconic Torch Hotel and world class sports facilities that expand into a separate 5k and 10kmrace and brings runners from Qatar and beyond.

“The purpose of the Doha College Race is to encourage health, fitness and fun in our community,” said Dr Steffen Sommer, Principal of Doha College. “Our school engages the young generation into an active and energetic take on healthy living, and we look forward to welcoming a great number of runners in November.”

Greg Evans of Evolution Sports, who organised the 2017 race and is reprising the role this year, told us: “The DC Race has been going from strength to strength and this edition is expected to be the biggest and best yet. I would urge runners to register early, as there were a lot of disappointed people last year who missed out on participation. The community spirit that arises on the day, coupled with the sense of achievement that the runners get, make the race a very worthy event.”

This year’s race will bring new and seasoned runners to the Aspire, on Friday 16 November, with races starting from 7am. To register for this event, log on to https://goo.gl/gmX6uo