Dubai: More than 2,500 international competitors will descend on Sharjah to prove their mettle in one of the world’s toughest endurance races on Friday.
The Spartan Race, which has become an ideal family occasion for some and a Herculean task for others, will be held at the Maliha Archaeological and Ecotourism Project and it will have different races for different age groups and categories.
The first category is the ‘Spartan Junior’ for younger runners aged four to 14, which features a 1.5km course that encourages children to run wild, jump, pass through mud pools and help each other as a team to get to the finish line, from 10am until 12pm.
The second category, the ‘Spartan Sprint’, features a 5km course with 20 obstacles that include running, crawling and jumping is designed for athletes of all abilities. More than 1,400 competitors have signed up for this.
The last category, the ‘Spartan Beast’, is the toughest event which is widely acknowledged as a strength-sapping trial of stamina and sheer determination. It includes over 850 athletes and is being held for the first time in the Middle East. It features a 20km course in the Maliha area with more than 30 hard-hitting obstacles, which include climbing, running though water pools and mud, crawling under barbed wire and jumping over fire.
Not only does the Spartan Beast test the competitors’ physical ability, endurance and perseverance, it also pushes competitors’ mental and psychological capacity to breaking point.
International athletes from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, the wider GCC and Middle East, the UK, the USA, Kenya, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Finland and many more nations are taking part.
“The Maliha Spartan Race attracts thousands of athletes, adventure enthusiasts and families who can enjoy the stunning natural landscape of Maliha, which is rich in cultural history, archaeological treasures and rugged terrain,” said Mahmoud Rashid Al Suwaidi, Maliha Archaeological and Ecotourism manager.
“We have provided free transport to take participants from Dubai and Sharjah to the race location and parking lots are also available.”
By the end of the day, the winners in all categories will be honoured and photographed to capture the moment they became ‘Spartans’.
