DUBAI It doesn’t matter if you are a couch potato or a professional athlete. The upcoming XDubai Spartan Race by Etisalat is urging everyone to join in the mega obstacle event in Dubai on February 26.
“The idea is simple,” Rayyan Yacob Agha, MENA managing director of Spartan Race, told XPRESS. “We started from a health and well-being platform and wanted to rip people off their couches and get them outdoors. The event is open to people of all ages, abilities and sizes.”
Huge turnout
Not surprisingly then, over 5,000 people are expected to turn up at the event which will take place in the Jebel Ali Race Course in Al Barsha. “We are seeing a huge turnout at the workout tours in the run-up to the big day. We encourage more people to join in as they can participate at different levels.”
Agha said the event will essentially test the participants’ endurance against obstacles like the Rolling Mud, Rope Climb, Slip Wall, Spear Throw, Fire Jump and Tire Flip. The event will feature the Spartan Sprint (five km/20+ obstacles) and the Spartan Super (13 km/25+ obstacles), as well the Junior Spartan (for ages four to 14) and Special Spartans (for racers with disabilities).
He said because of their inclusiveness, Spartan Races have the ability to change lives and motivate people to get fitter. “Nearly 99 per cent of those who take part in the Sprint complete it. The majority of people catch the ‘Spartan Bug’ after experiencing the race only once and come back to improve.”
Equally, several elite athletes also take part. “Dubai’s desert terrain offers an opportunity for athletes to test their skills in a unique environment and last year’s race attracted a number of elite competitors from Europe and the US.’’
The Spartan team’s weekly workout tours are being held every Friday between 10 and 11am until the day of the event. On February 26 the Elite heat will kick off the race at 7.15am with up to 250 racers going off the line every 15 minutes until 1pm. The Junior Race will be held from 10-12pm, which will cover 1km of obstacles. A festival area will offer Spartan challenges for the family, with lots of food and music.
Agha said registrations are open until the day of the event.
For more info visit: www.spartanarabia.com
