New Record: Runner Crosses UAE On Foot In 5.5 Days To Raise Funds For Cause

Entrepreneur and long-distance runner Evren Ozka has crossed the UAE on foot in just 5 days, 11 hours and 19 minutes, setting a new national record. He has also completed one of the Gulf's toughest endurance challenges, breaking records in three countries within a single month.

The UAE run covered around 630 kilometres, concluded on UAE National Day, and surpassed his own previous UAE crossing time by 11 hours and 39 minutes.

The UAE crossing formed the final and longest leg of a month-long challenge that also included record runs across Qatar and Bahrain. In total, nearly 900 kilometres were completed across three nations, while raising funds for Dubai Cares to support education for children around the world.

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Ozka completed around 192km across Qatar in 26 hours and 30 minutes, followed by approximately 68.5km in Bahrain in 11 hours and 26 minutes.

While each leg posed physical and mental challenges, the UAE stretch was the most demanding, requiring multiple days of continuous running with limited rest. Long hours of isolation, accumulated fatigue, and changing conditions tested endurance throughout the route.

Finishing the UAE run on National Day added special significance. Having lived in the country for several years, the runner described the final kilometres as a moment of both personal achievement and national celebration.

During the month-long effort, Ozka was supported by fellow runners across the region. In Qatar, Puma athlete Coach Biha joined sections of the route, while in Bahrain, members of the Bahrain Warriors ran alongside him. In the UAE, athletes from the LFG community, including Yasmine Elhamouly, Ahmed Sam and Noura Khalaf, joined him at key segments. Ozka completed the challenge wearing running shoes supplied by PUMA.

The journey also reflects a dramatic personal transformation. Once overweight and struggling to run even a single kilometre, the athlete reshaped his life through years of discipline and training, progressing from short-distance goals to ultra-endurance challenges across borders.

“For me, this wasn't just about running across countries or breaking records,” Ozka said.

“It was about proving who I've become. A few years ago, I couldn't run a kilometre. To finish almost 900 kilometres in one month across three nations, and to do it for a cause like Dubai Cares, means more than a record.”

“It's proof that anyone can rewrite their life if they start and push. The people who joined me, even for a few kilometres, and my team who stayed with me through every border became part of this story. I kept the mentality that every step, every doubt, and every wall I faced was mine to overcome, and I never stopped pushing forward until I made it,” added Ozka.

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