The winner of the 300km Al Marmoom Ultramarathon is going to win $100,000 at this year ultra event
If you thought a 270km race through the desert wasn’t long enough, well your wish has just come true, as this year’s longest desert race in the world has added an extra 30km to it.
The Al Marmoom Ultramarathon 2019 is upping its length this year to 300km. And is offering $100,000 (more than Dhs360,000) for the winner.
The race will place over five days from Monday December 9 until Friday 13, the world’s longest desert race will see some of the world’s most famous ultra-runners come to Dubai to battle it out over tough desert terrain.
This year will see three distances, including the incredible 300km race set to be completed in five days and over four separate routes starting from the base camp situated in Al Qudra. Just a casual 60km per day, through the desert.The 110km race will be a non-stop 24-hour run through day and night, while the 50km race is to be completed in one day.Tents will be pitched throughout the course and there will be water rations on the route and in the camp.
A medical team of doctors and paramedics will also be supervising the race, in case of injury or exhaustion.“The UAE is home to some of the world’s most-seasoned and experienced desert ultra-runners and we are encouraging UAE based ultra-runners to enter all three distances as well as team entries for the 50km distance,” said event director Ruth Dickinson.
In it for the experience and not the cash? Those who finish the incredible race will get a medal and a t-shirt so you can show off to everyone you completed it. Well earned.The first edition saw elite runners from 48 different countries race over 270km in four days.
Now that it’s 300km this year, the race has added an extra day.Before taking it on, the organisers are encouraging runners who want to compete to join the weekly build-up runs training program, which will kick off on Friday August 30 and run for 12 weeks leading up to the main event.
posted Thursday August 1st
by Darragh Murphy