Dubai Mallathon re-imagines shopping centres as climate-controlled fitness spaces

UAE – A new Dubai Mallathon initiative will see seven malls – including Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates – being used as indoor walking and running tracks throughout August 2025 under the patronage of the country’s crown prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

The tracks will be open from 7:00am–10:00am daily where residents and visitors will be able to participate in 2.5km, 5km or 10km circuits, with hydration points and in-store wellness incentives enhancing the experience.

The initiative is part of a strategy to embed movement into daily life, despite the high-temperature urban environment, by using climate-controlled public spaces as platforms for preventive health.

In our Gen Z’s Mall Revival report, we explored how these places are evolving into social playgrounds where retail, food and entertainment collide. By rethinking Third Space Retail as a blueprint for inclusive, multigenerational wellness venues, Dubai’s Mallathon takes this vision one step further and recodes malls as public health infrastructure.