Dubai : Ghani Souleymane looks to better the current mark for fastest crossing of the UAE on foot
Dubai-based athlete Ghani Souleymane will on Tuesday begin his attempt at the fastest crossing of the UAE on foot, in a bid to create a new Guinness World Record.
The popular runner first rose to prominence for completing 30 ultramarathons in 30 days in 2020, and completing 30 Ironman “70.3-mile” distances in 30 days the following year as part of Dubai 30×30, for which he was honored in the Fitness Challenge Hall of Fame for the second time by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai.
The athlete from Togo is now attempting his biggest challenge to date — to run across all seven emirates of the UAE in the fastest known time, beating the previous record set in 2021 of 6 days, 21 hours, 48 minutes
The runner, who is an Adidas employee and running coach at LK Running Performance in Dubai, is a well-known figure at community races and is often seen on the sidelines handing out water, cheering competitors or running alongside first-time runners to support them.
Souleymane has lived in Dubai since 2017 and is bidding to set new standards in a challenge first attempted in 2006 by Jalal Jamal Majid Bin Thaneya Al-Marri.
Souleymane will be running through Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Fujairah from Tuesday, and hopes to finish in triumphant fashion on March 11.