Akram Berkani is a Nike Running athlete, endurance athlete, and the founder of Elevate Training Club in Dubai. He was born in Canada and spent his early childhood between countries (UK, France, Algeria) before settling in France at the age of 11. Sport has always been a part of his life. Akram grew up practicing martial arts, tennis, and staying active before fully dedicating himself to swimming at 12. He went on to compete at the national level in France for over a decade as a sprint swimmer ; a journey that taught him discipline, resilience, and how to push beyond limits.
After graduating as a Doctor of Pharmacy, Akram moved to Dubai in October 2022, and it was here that he truly discovered his passion for running. He set the goal of completing his first marathon in just six months, and that experience reshaped the way he saw performance and endurance. Since then, Akram has run multiple marathons, completed a 100km ultra trail race in Saudi Arabia, and qualified for the Ironman World Championship after placing 4th in his age group at Ironman Japan. The shift from sprinting to long-distance and triathlon has been a journey of growth: both physical and mental.
Today, through Elevate Training Club, Akram helps others experience that same transformation. Elevate is a growing performance-driven community built around structured training, shared goals, and meaningful connection. They offer weekly track sessions, long runs, cycling rides, and swim workouts for athletes preparing for races from 5Ks to marathons and triathlons. They also organize their own competitions. Their mission is to help runners and endurance athletes (from beginners to advanced) reach their full potential in a supportive, inclusive, and motivating environment.