Thousands turned out in New York's Central Park on Sunday for the Zayed Charity Marathon. The US race has raised at least US$1 million (Dh3.6m) for the National Kidney Foundation annually since it was launched in 2005. It was launched after Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father, had a kidney transplant at Cleveland Clinic in the US in 2000. The 10-kilometre race is open to runners of all levels, with about 8,000 taking part each year. The foundation works to prevent kidney disease, increase transplant organs available and raise awareness. Diabetes is a huge factor for kidney disease and the UAE has one of the highest rates of type 2 diabetes in the world. The International Diabetes Federation estimates almost a million people could have diabetes in the UAE.