Dubai-based lifestyle and running community BELONGDXB brought together 60 participants for ONE MORE BLOCK: Movement Is Enough, a community running experience staged in partnership with ASICS, %ARABICA, and City Walk Dubai on August 1, 2026.
Held at %ARABICA City Walk, the evening was built around presence over performance. Runners were invited to set aside their metrics through a “Watch Exchange,” voluntarily checking in their GPS watches before the run and receiving an ASICS running tee. Each participant was photographed with their watch on a white wall, the portraits printed as polaroids and displayed on the check-in table. Before setting off, runners joined an “Airplane Mode Pledge,” committing to 30 minutes without notifications, emails, or messages. The group then completed a short, unpaced urban loop around City Walk before returning to %ARABICA for coffee and conversation.
Founded in May 2024 by Filipino running coach Karl Dela Cruz, BELONGDXB is a Dubai-based community that began as a small running crew and has since grown into a diverse, multicultural movement. While the group welcomes members of all nationalities, Dela Cruz noted that this project placed its Filipino team at the creative helm, leading everything from concept and branding to marketing, photography, media, and storytelling.
Bryan Benida, Arianne Abiera, Angelica Gumabay, Frances Bacani, Kenth Orcales, and Ardel Castillo all contributed to shaping the experience. Everlie Aco, a Filipina on the %ARABICA team, helped connect BELONGDXB with the brand, a link that eventually brought City Walk into the collaboration.
For Dela Cruz, the event pointed to something larger than a single community run. He framed it as a showcase of Filipino creativity, leadership, and transferable skills on display in the UAE, and an example of Filipinos taking center stage on a global platform.
