Sports

Bidiya to host Oman Desert Marathon from Jan 21

 
Muscat, Jan 17

The Sultanate of Oman will host the Oman Desert Marathon, in its eighth edition on Saturday, from January 21 to 24, in the golden sands of Bidiya.

The event will feature participation of marathon champions from different countries of the world and amateurs from Oman and GCC countries. The marathon distance is 165 kilometres divided into four-stage races that take place in one of the most picturesque deserts in the world.

The four stages of the race with a distance of 47 km, 55 km, 42 km and 21 km respectively provide a wonderful path to the runners, in Bidiya sands in the winter season.

The eighth edition of the marathon starts from Al Wasl Oasis in Bidiya, and embraces three short-distance tracks. The first track is allocated for children for a distance of two kilometres namely ‘Bidiya Jewel Race’, the second cross-country race will be held for a distance of five kilometres, the third race is Al Wasl race for beginners and families for a distance of five kilometres.

It is worth noting that the first edition of the marathon was held in 2013 at Al Wasl Oasis in the Wilayat of Bidiya and the last edition of the Oman Desert Marathon was held in 2019. The ODM was cancelled in the next few years due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The event is returning with the participation of more than 200 athletes competing in four days.