Oman’s Ultra Mountain Race Sets Pulses Running

The Oman by UTMB Mountain Race sparkled in Birkat Al Mouz on Thursday evening as the culmination of the first phase of what some are already calling, ‘The Beast.’ The twenty-four hours leading up to the event saw the Oman Sail Event Management Team at their best, providing pre-race services to the more than 500 runners, including around 60 Omani participants. The registration process, equipment checks, course and health and safety briefings were all conducted with a minimum of fuss, maximum professionalism, and an apparent wealth of experience. Salma al Hashmi, Chief Marketing Officer for the Oman Sail organising team explained that they had visited a similar event in Mont Blanc, to see exactly what was required for the inaugural Omani version, “The weather was quite a bit different,” she explained, “but there is no substitute for seeing how organisers who have been doing these events work. We were able to watch and learn, the come back here, place their procedures over our course, and localise what we had. The different temperatures and terrain made a difference of course, but our course has attracted a huge amount of positive comment.” The course was certainly the main topic of conversation among the athletes as they each settled into their individual pre-race routines throughout the afternoon. Hamida al Jabri, the reigning Al Mouj Marathon Champion used the recent 35km Desert Run as a warm-up event, and she confessed to using music as a form of relaxation while she runs, saying, “I find it relaxing. It allows me to ‘switch-off’ for periods and lets me, recover mentally, and my body to recharge physically. Some of my competitors might find it a bit un-nerving,” Al Jabri laughed, “and they call me the ‘music girl.” Jason Schlarb and Meredith Edwards both ranked as elite runners, are Americans, who admitted “The simplicity of running. It’s a minimal and natural activity, in which we only have to trust and rely on ourselves.” Schlarb said, though without arrogance, “We are both full-time professional athletes, both with winning chances, and so we must rate ourselves. I personally don’t expect to win, but I would like to think I give myself a good chance of doing so.” Edwards similarly admitted, “There are a lot of good women athletes out there, but I would love to win here,” adding, “I must say, the welcome, hospitality, and the whole experience of being in Oman has led me to re-evaluate my personal view of this region in such a positive way. This country, and its people, are amazing, and a real eye-opener.” Elite runner Deigo Pazos represents Switzerland and is a genuinely outgoing young man. A forensic scientist by day, Pazos said, “I run all the time, morning, noon and night, and fit my job around it I guess. I’m a great believer in mental preparation, as I see these races as real emotional roller-coasters. When I get tired the devil on one shoulder says ‘give-up,’ while when I’m feeling good, there’s an angel on the other shoulder saying, ‘hey, this is a breeze!” He really does bubble with enthusiasm, and that’s how he prepares himself, ultra-positive, ultra-confident, and ultra-prepared, and if you ask the other competitors, a definite winning chance. In his own eyes, “Maybe I will win,” he said, and give myself a late birthday present,” having celebrated his birthday the day before. Gediminas Grinius from Lithuania, in his first year as a professional athlete, is considered the event favourite, and the overwhelming impression of him was of his confidence in himself. “I have run in about twenty of these races,” he said, “Chamonix, China, Madiera, Reunion Island, and places like that, and enjoy the running ‘tourism.’ This is gonna be different, with an island climate, but in a mountain region. Something never done in the Middle East before like this, and for me it’s my first time in Oman.” He too reflected as he dealt with his media obligations on the Omani experience. “Wow, amazing. One day swimming with stingrays, then poisonous snakes in the wadi, the mountains, just, no two places are the same. It will take time for the event to grow for sure, but this is a great event, and I can see me coming back next year when it is even longer.” At the other end of the scale, experientially, a nervously excited Ahmed Hamed Zahran al Fahdi, fumbled his way through the registration and equipment checks, looking a bit like a ‘kid in a candy store.’ His excitement and anticipation revealed in his frantic desire to do everything the right way. Aware of the challenge ahead, he described his training as “easy, but I know the race is going to be different. I just want to do well with my friends, and Inshallah, I will prove worthy.” He is certain to be much wiser coming down the mountain than going up, and certainly has a big heart taking on ‘The Beast’ as his first ultra-race. Fellow Omani, Nadhira al Harthy, certainly appeared focused as she explained that running for her was all about, “challenging herself, improving herself, and making good decisions, and disciplining herself. Representing my country, and as a woman in sports. I’m actually a climber, so the endurance aspect will help me in my further ambitions.” The young educational administrator, originally from Sharqiyah, admits that her family are always “apprehensive about the risks she takes, and wish I would just go for a run on the beach.” But it would seem Al Harthy is made of sterner stuff! Samantha Chan domiciled in Hong Kong, has competed in Yunan, China, previously, and has a burgeoning reputation in the ultra-field, she has expectations to, “explore this wonderful country, try my best, hopefully finish, and win. This country is so much more than I thought it would be, and I love the sea. Of course, my passion is running, but I’m excited, worried, nervous, and physically ready for what lies ahead. Apparently, I cry when I run, but I don’t realise it, I just get in my special place and run for the love of it.” Describing herself as a ‘nine-to-five insurance administrator, who has to work,’ Chan was relaxed and smiling throughout. The afternoon ‘media circus over, it was almost race time, and a short drive later the participants, bands, volunteers, and thousands of onlookers lined up near the start line in Birkat Al Mouz. Englishman Aaron Robinson sat on the kerb as the clock ticked towards the 7.30pm start saying, “Like the training, I’ll wing it!” While his compatriot Tarne Wescott anticipated the second night on the mountain would be the “crunch time.” Moscow brothers Sergei and Alexei Polyakov, just wanted to “get started, and get finished.” The band played, the drums rolled, and right on time, the massive field burst away from the start, with their headlights bobbing as the keen pacemakers shot off like scalded cats. The favoured runners knew this was not where the race would be won and lost and ambled away from the line at a more sedate pace, and the race was on, and we too sedately set off for Al Hamra, but by car, with an appointment for 21 hours later, the expected arrival time of the first of the elite runners. And true to most pre-race predictions that the seeded runners would dominate, after a grueling 137 kilometres of what American pre-race favourite Jason Schlarb called “the most incredible mountains anywhere,” mostly spent within a minute or two of Swiss competitor Diego Pazos, the pair crossed the line together before a modest, yet appreciative crowd in Al Hamra in a time of 20 hours, 45 minutes and change. Schlarb commented that the course “may not have been exactly what they expected, but it was beautiful, unique, and challenging.” Pazos agreed it was “definitely different, and for a first-time event the organisation was amazing.” Both, surprisingly finished well clear of the competition, led in 45 minutes later by Alexei Tolstenko, from Russia. At the time of going to press the first Omani runners were still to finish, but Hamdan al Khatri and Saleh al Saidi appeared well placed to record outstanding top 30 placings. Co-Race founder, Catherine Poletti was “in awe of the manner in which the local community, the media, and especially the Oman Sail Local Organisers, embraced the event,” and predicted that, “the event could only get bigger and better.” Thanked for bringing the event to Oman she remained adamant that she had only played a minor role, and that “the athletes, knowing what to expect next time will be even better prepared, and I think too, there will be many more.” It may never be officially known as ‘The Beast,’ but you can be sure that this race, and these mountains are a long way from being tamed, though there’s always next year!