Coronavirus: In Dubai, a couple ran a marathon on their balcony

A couple of South Africans have run a marathon on the balcony of their apartment in Dubai and plan to scale up the project to help people fight the blues of the new coronavirus. Collin Allin, 41, and his wife Hilda walked 42.2 km, making more than 2,100 round trips in their 20-meter-long balcony on Saturday. A stopwatch shown by the couple, who broadcast the marathon online, indicates that the distance was covered in 5 hours, 9 minutes and 39 seconds.

" We did it, " said Collin on Instagram under the hashtag #balconymarathon, "congratulating his wife on her very first marathon and thanking people for their encouragement. " Thank you for all the love and support (...) It was great to have you throughout the race, " he said. The couple's daughter, Geena, 10, acted as race director, installing “ start ” and “ turn around ” signs and providing her parents with water and snacks and a inspirational music.

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Throwback to yesterday .. what a lot of fun we had .. Congratulations to @karoodaisy for finishing her first every marathon and to Geena for being a great race director and also running 5km with us ... #balconymarathon #fortheloveofsport #oneobsession. . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #triathlontraining #triathletesrock #doyouevencustombro #aeroiseverything #shutupandride #cycling #timetrial #bikesofinstagram #bikelife #triathletesofinsta #triathlonlife #triathleteslife #travelholic #travelgram #travelblogger #traveller #outsideisfree #bloggerstyle #bloggerlife #triathlonmotivation #roadcyclist #roadcycling #mydubai #dubaifitness

A publication shared by Collin Allin (@collinallin) on March 29, 2020 at 12:50 p.m. PDT

Collin said he plans to organize a " larger, more comprehensive and more inclusive race " to allow people who feel confined but want to stretch their legs to join the race for a few kilometers or more. " It's about letting people think about other things, " he said before the race on Friday. " It's about getting people to connect when they are concerned about the impact of the coronavirus ."

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We did it ... #balconymarathon and well done to @karoodaisy for her first marathon ever .. haha ​​.. Thank you for all the love and support for doing something silly ... was great to have you all along for the ride. .. #fortheloveofsport #oneobsession. . . . . . #triathlon #triathlete #triathlontraining #triathletesrock #doyouevencustombro #aeroiseverything #shutupandride #cycling #timetrial #bikesofinstagram #bikelife #triathletesofinsta #triathlonlife #triathleteslife #travelholic #travelgram #travelblogger #traveller #outsideisfree #bloggerstyle #bloggerlife #triathlonmotivation #roadcyclist #roadcycling #mydubai #dubaifitness

A publication shared by Collin Allin (@collinallin) on March 28, 2020 at 4:02 am PDT

The pandemic has disrupted the calendar of sports competitions around the world and limited the possibilities of practicing outdoor sports. On a seven-meter-long balcony near Toulouse, a 32-year-old man made more than 6,000 round trips, relaying his marathon on Instagram where many of his followers encouraged him throughout his race which lasted more six hours. Another walked 727 times around its terrace, completing the 42.2 kilometers in just over five hours to the applause of the neighbors. The United Arab Emirates has imposed nightly travel restrictions, except for essential workers, to allow for cleaning and disinfection. With 468 cases of infection and two deaths, the Emirates also encourage residents to stay at home during the day and only go out when necessary.

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