A Family Affair: Abu Dhabi’s First Family Relay

There is something beautifully resonant about the idea of a family moving together across a track, each member carrying the baton forward in turn. It speaks to unity, to shared purpose, to the quiet understanding that some achievements belong not to one person alone but to all of us together.

In recognition of the Year of the Family 2026, Abu Dhabi Athletics Club brings this vision to life with the UAE’s first 4×100 metre family relay. Part of the fourth Abu Dhabi Community Athletics Championship, the race invites families to form teams of four: mother, father and two children, united in a single endeavour that blends the thrill of competition with the bonds that define us.

The relay captures something essential about sport in our time. It is not simply about speed or individual prowess, though these matter. Rather, it celebrates the way athletic pursuits draw people together, create shared memories and strengthen the connections that matter most. Four family members, one team, and a race that honours both the excitement of competition and the grace of teamwork.

The event takes place on Saturday, 31 October 2026, at four o’clock in the afternoon at Abu Dhabi Athletics Club’s track in Khalifa City. Those wishing to participate may register until Thursday, 29 October. Families are encouraged to gather their team and step onto the track together, ready to experience something that is, for the first time in the emirates, entirely their own.