Dubai Silicon Oasis: How a 23-year-old built a grassroots Sunday community around runs and breakfast

It begins with a run, but that’s not really why people keep coming back.

Last year, we spoke to an enthusiastic Mridul Manoj, who shared his dream of starting a running club. The 23-year-old was already building a name for himself, owing to his then 2,000-day running streak, which is now closing in on seven years.

Today, that dream has taken form as a growing running community in Dubai Silicon Oasis.

“The name is More Life, which just means wishing someone more life, more health, more blessings,” he explains. Inspired by Drake—More Life is one of his favourite projects, the idea goes beyond fitness.

It’s about living fully: being adventurous, collecting experiences, and leaning into joy. “I actually have ‘More Life’ tattooed on my hand, which I got for my 23rd birthday, so the name is very personal and closely tied to my identity and brand,” he says.

The group’s turnout has been building steadily. In the first week, five people joined. This rose to seven in week two, followed by a significant jump to 19 participants in week three, which then held steady in week four. The momentum continued into week seven with 23 people, a figure that has remained consistent into week eight.

It’s this infectious energy that spreads to those who are ready to join the run at Sundays, on 6:30 am. It brings him much joy to see the little community growing steadily over a course of seven weeks: There are around 45 people on the WhatsApp group now. The format is intentionally simple. “There are two groups, one that runs and one that walks. The walking group does 3km, and the running group does 5km,” he explains.

The format is straightforward. “There are two groups, one that runs and one that walks. The walking group does 3km, and the running group does 5km,” he explains.

It’s this flexibility that sets the tone. While many running clubs can feel intimidating or performance-driven, Manoj is clear about his approach: just show up. Walk if you want. There’s no pressure to keep pace or push limits.

 You might meet new people, make friends, and moreover, you enjoy a hearty breakfast at the end of it all. And what gives him the joy, is that people always come back. “When I see people making time for this, despite work days, and wanting to return, I know that I have done something right,” he says.

And for Manoj, the real success lies in what happens the following week. “When I see people making time for this despite busy workdays, and wanting to come back, I know I’ve done something right,” he says.

The idea of the club is not to be just focused on perfomance. “The vision from day one has been meeting new people and building community, fitness is just the medium, not the priority. It’s beginner-friendly, social, and centred around good energy and connection rather than elite running,” he says

In his rather frank manner, he adds that everyone has something going on, so some friendship, food and motivation might just be the balm they need.

For now, the club grows organically. Manoj relies on Instagram and word-of-mouth, often drawing curious onlookers who spot the group during their Sunday runs. “People see a few of us running and want to give it a shot,” he says.

As for monetising the concept, that’s a question for later. “This is a passion project,” he says. But the experience has already shifted something for him. “It made me realise I’m actually good at marketing, and restored my faith in building something of my own.”

And just like that, his streak became a circle, one that keeps getting bigger.