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Muscat: The Sultanate’s iconic desert adventure event, now in its ninth year, will see the new edition of the Oman Desert Marathon held on the golden sands of Bidiya from January 20 to 23, 2024, organizers revealed on Friday.
Launched in 2013, the Oman Desert Marathon is a 165km standalone race divided into four stages, including a night stage, through the scenic Omani landscape and various natural attractions, starting from Al Wasil Oasis and crossing the desert to Al Jawharat Resort.
Oman Desert Marathon
The race is divided into four stages: 42 km on the first day, 55 km on the second day, 47 km on the third day (night stage) and 21 km on the fourth and final day. As with the eighth edition, the Oman Desert Marathon will continue to be sanctioned by the International Trail Running Association (ITRA) so that athletes can earn international ranking points for participating.
Oman Desert Marathon
The World Trail Running Organisation has sanctioned the event, awarding 4 ITRA points and 1 mountain point, confirming a distance of 164.20 km and an altitude of 2030 m. The eighth edition of the event was well attended by Omanis, who made up the majority of the participants, in addition to many participants from all over the world, including Spain, France, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland and Morocco.
Oman Desert Marathon
Corina Sommer from Switzerland won the women’s championship, while Mohamed El Morabity from Morocco won the men’s championship. Saleh al Saidi, Sami al Saidi and Hamdan al Khatri from Oman took the top three places respectively.
The ninth edition of the marathon will be held in Bidiya in accordance with ODM tradition, and in addition to the main event (which will start on January 19, a day before the main event), there will also be short-distance events. The short-distance events will be 10 km, 5 km and 2 km, which were very popular in the previous editions. Runners who wish to participate in the long-distance races of 42 km and 21 km will also have the opportunity to participate on January 20.
Oman Desert Marathon
Night desert running
For those in Muscat, there will also be the opportunity to take part in the Night Desert Run, which will take place in Ghala in October 2024. This will be the second edition of the 5km Nighttime Charity Run, and it will offer participants a unique opportunity to enjoy a run (or walk) under the beautiful stars. ODM donates 100% of its profits to the Oman Environment Society.
The 165km Oman Desert Marathon Classic also features a night stage, which was deliberately arranged to give runners the opportunity to experience the magical desert night sky, while raising environmental awareness and encouraging participants to help protect and preserve Oman’s natural heritage.
Oman Desert Marathon
In addition to the classic 165km race, which attracts runners from around the world such as Japan and Georgia, there are local races of varying distances on January 20, which also attract international runners to test the desert before taking on the four-stage challenge. The main 165km race will be held from January 20 to 23, 2024, with shorter distance races for children of 42km, 21km, 10km, 5km and 2km also taking place on January 20, 2024.
Oman Desert Marathon
Motivating runners
“We are very proud and excited that the next edition of the Games will be enriched by an inspiring athlete who has shown us that our physical or personal limitations are not the reason why we cannot achieve our goals. Spanish athlete Pol Macuri was born with hemiplegia, a type of cerebral palsy that affects the development of the right side of his body. This has never been an obstacle for him, on the contrary, it has inspired him to overcome difficulties and experience amazing adventures,” said the organizers.
Oman Desert Marathon
Pol will be carrying all his food, sleeping bags and daily gear as he crosses the Omani desert with Albert Jorquera, a Spanish journalist specializing in off-road and supercross racing. Albert participated in the ODM in January this year, so he will be a great mentor for Pol as he prepares for this epic adventure. They will embark on this unique journey as a team, following the footsteps of ancient caravans to explore the most remote, pristine sands and highest dunes of the Omani desert.
Oman Desert Marathon
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