The Yas Marina Circuit, venue of the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is not just about motorsport.

The circuit has teamed up with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), the Health Authority – Abu Dhabi (Haad) and the National Health Insurance Company – Daman, to introduce a new government health and fitness initiative called ‘StartYAS’ in a bid to get Abu Dhabi residents more active.

Starting October 11, from 6pm to 10pm, StartYas will run every Sunday and the circuit will open its gates to anyone who wishes to use the iconic circuit to improve their fitness. Residents can either walk, run or jog on the 5.55-kilometre grand prix circuit.

Building on the success of the existing TrainYAS and GoYAS evenings that sees more than 4,000 people per week running or cycling at the circuit, StartYAS offers residents of Abu Dhabi even more opportunity and choice, and is an ideal way to start the week for those seeking to take charge of their own health and fitness.

“Before, we had little food but we used to walk a lot or do some activity. Now, we have lot of food and we walk very little or do not do activity at all. Over the past years, we have seen a significant rise in chronic diseases associated with unhealthy lifestyles, obesity rates, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. For this reason, and as part of our commitment to maintaining a healthy community, we at Haad have prioritised raising awareness around the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles,” Dr Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of Haad, said at the launch, at the Yas Marina Circuit, on Tuesday. Details