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Tru Active founders Dana and Hala Zubari, who created a series of comfortable, chic and colourful collections of leggings and bras with an Arabic twist, continue to promote wellness and aim to encourage more people to take up an active lifestyle by staging a fun run and swim for all.
Truathlon is a short distance duathlon created by the sporty sisters to introduce and encourage new athletes into dual discipline racing. The 3km run, followed by a 200m swim, will be held in Bahrain Bay at 8am this Friday.
“We are hoping to bring awareness to beginner athletes that there is a place for them in the competitive world of sports here in Bahrain and that even the shorter distances count towards the bigger goals you have set for yourself,” said Dana, 36, who can often be seen sporting her leggings and crops at different triathlons and Ironman events in Bahrain and around the world.
“So just have fun with your training and get yourself out of your comfort zone. We are also offering both single entry and relay entry if participants wish to do it with a friend or teammate.”
With the support from Bahrain Triathlon Association, the duo teamed up with Beach Culture and Boost Bahrain to make this dream into a reality. They also received support from Bahrain Bay Development as well as a few other sponsors that will be conducting activities throughout the event such as a Bahraini breakfast and free after-race massages.
The idea came about when Hala, an animal lover who conquered Mount Kilimanjaro last year in a bid to raise funds and awareness for the Bahrain Rescues animal welfare group, noticed an increase in beginner athletes participating in sports over the past couple of years.
“Although there are many events that cater to the training schedule for those who are taking part in longer endurance races, there seemed to be a gap in the distances for those who are not yet used to those distances,” explained Hala, 28. “We wanted to create an event like Truathlon for some time now. We are really excited that we are achieving that milestone this year. The great thing about Truathlon is you can make it as easy or challenging for yourself as you’d like.
“For beginner athletes who are getting into running and swimming, it’s a great bridging opportunity to move from being an amateur to a more experienced athlete. It can also be a nice challenge for those who can already achieve those distances and make it harder for themselves by pushing for a faster finish. It’s always inspiring to see people race against their personal best to achieve new records for themselves.”
Participants can collect their bibs and race bag at Darseen Cafe in Qal’at Al-Bahrain today, from 4pm -7pm. Participants who were unable to make the bib pick up will be required to arrive at 7am at the event to receive their bib and race bag.
On race day, the athletes will be required to arrive to the venue at 7.30am for the briefing; race will start promptly at 8am, finishing around 9am.
The event will end with finisher medals and awards and a thank you speech given by the Tru-sisters.
Dana, co-founder of Lettuce Run which is an all-women running community that meets every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning, said: “We’ve both been involved in sport from a very young age through to university. Being physically fit is not just about weight loss and looking good; it’s about the longevity of your life.
“Being active is so important to your body to prevent you from pain and aliments when you get older. Even if you’re just getting a 30 min power walk in a day, you’ll already start to see the benefits it has to your mood and energy.”
The fitness fanatics are an inspiration, leading by example by achieving their own feats.
Hala likes to do Muay Thai boxing, Yoga, and stretching to build her core strength as well as participates in fundraisers to help better the community. She also joined her sisters 60 strong running squad which is co-founded by triathlete star and Ironman finisher Mariam Turki as well as the Cycling Bees for more of a fun outlet to train.
Meanwhile, Dana, who runs and cycles, enjoys circuit training, weights and cardio. She recently started pole fitness to challenge and improve herself. She has competed in three Ironman 70.3 races to date. Her first Ironman 70.3 was in Mallorca, Spain where she was sponsored by the Nasser Bin Hamad Foundation to compete as one of Bahrain’s female Ironman 70.3 finishers in May 2013. After having her daughter Layla, she began training for her second 70.3 that took place in Bahrain on December 2016. Leading up to her third 70.3, she took part in a relay team for Ironman Bahrain where she competed in the swim in December 2017. Her third Ironman 70.3 took place in Dubai in 2018 where she turned 35 and came in first place in the GCC female category.
Join the ladies on their quest for an active lifestyle by registering on their site on www.truactive.me/ or via Instagram @truactivebh.
