On 24 November 2024, Sheikh Zayed Road closed to traffic and filled with runners for Dubai Run. ChopperShoot flew nine drone teams over it, sharing the sky with paramotors, skydivers and a stunt plane. Here is how the operation worked.
Dubai Run 2024 in numbers
- Participants
- 278,000
- Drone teams
- 9
Dubai Run 2024 was the sixth edition, with 5 km and 10 km routes along Sheikh Zayed Road and a reported record turnout, according to the Dubai Media Office. It is part of the Dubai Fitness Challenge.
Nine drone teams, two jobs
- Five filming teams
- Wide shots of runners covering Sheikh Zayed Road, and close-ups of the aerial performers.
- Four monitoring teams
- Watching the road closures and flagging risks on the ground, with live information passed to the event organisers.
Sharing the sky
The airspace above the road was as busy as the road itself. Paramotors, skydivers and a stunt plane were all part of the show, so every movement had to be planned and synchronised.
- Pre-approved flight plans. Every aircraft flew to a plan agreed in advance.
- Real-time communication. All parties stayed in constant contact on the day.
- Coordination with the authorities. We worked with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, the event organisers and the aerial performers.
Months of planning went into it, and the footage shows it: runners filling the road from edge to edge, and the performers above them. For permits on large events, see our filming permit service.
More large-scale operations
Events like this are where multi-team aerial work matters most. See how we filmed Armin van Buuren on the Burj Khalifa, the live drone broadcast for Pope Francis, and Walk 1000 in Abu Dhabi's Western Region. Our drone filming and Dubai pages cover the service.
Common questions
- How many drone teams filmed Dubai Run 2024?
- ChopperShoot flew nine drone teams: five filming the event and four monitoring road closures for safety.
- How big was Dubai Run 2024?
- Dubai Run 2024 took place on 24 November 2024, with a reported record of 278,000 participants on Sheikh Zayed Road, according to the Dubai Media Office.
- How do you film safely when paramotors and a stunt plane share the airspace?
- Through pre-approved flight plans, real-time communication between all parties, and coordination with the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, the event organisers and the aerial performers.
- Can ChopperShoot film large public events?
- Yes. We plan the aerial operation, arrange the permits and run the drone teams on the day. See our work on the Burj Khalifa and the live broadcast for Pope Francis.
