400 runners take field in Bidiyah sands
The eighth edition of the Oman Desert Marathon (ODM) for the year 2023 was launched in Bidiya in the Al Sharqiyah North Governorate on Saturday morning.
The desert marathon will be competed on the golden sands of Bidiya during January 21-24. The event is organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Tamkeen Sports and Investment Company.
More than 400 international runners from 30 countries and several amateurs are participating in the new edition.
The first round of the race started in front of the fort of the ancient town of Al Wasel in Bidiya in a ceremony held under the auspices of Azzan bin Qassim al Busaidi, Under-secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism.
The opening ceremony of the event began with a long walk accompanied by the chief guest and the audience.
It was followed by a heritage event that embodied Omani culture, which included some Omani traditional arts and bagpipe music.
After that, the chief guest flagged off the race, which included a main round of 42 km and three local rounds.
The first track was allocated for children for a distance of 2 kilometres and was called the ‘Jawharat Bidiya’ race, the crosscountry race for 5 km and the Al Wasel race for beginners and families for 5 km.
On the first day, the participants were able to cross soft sandy hills and zigzag the slopes without difficulty.
The contestants showed high physical skills characterised by the spirit of challenge, adventure and love of the exploration of the wonderful Omani desert.
The international contestants are expected to reach the finish line this afternoon after completing all stages of the first round, which is 47 kilometres long, during which they cross high sandy hills, slopes and difficult zigzags until reaching the endpoint.
LOCAL MARATHON
The results of the local competitions resulted in a victory for the experienced international and local runners.
In the men’s 10 km challenge race, Salem al Rashdi came on top with a time of 41 minutes and 40 seconds. Arab al Harmali took second spot in 42.37 minutes, and Rashid al Shuaibi (43.17 minutes) finished third.
In the women’s category for 10 km, French contestant Kellon claimed the honours in one hour, nine minutes and 47 seconds, while China’s Klizar came in second (1:10:9) and Oman’s Suhaila al Tawby finished third (1:19:24).
In the cross-country race for 5 km, Mahmoud al Jahdhami won first place with a time of 17 minutes and 38 seconds, while Murshid al Siyabi came in second (17.39 minutes) and Imad al Farsi finished third (17.40 minutes).
In the competition for beginners, called the Johara Bidiya Race for 2 km, Osama bin Ahmed al Fahdi came on top followed by Ahmed bin Al Abd al Wahibi and Qais bin Saif al Tobi in second and third places respectively.
TOP FIELD
Said bin Mohammed al Hajri, ODM General Supervisor, said: “We are happy with the official opening of the marathon, with the participation of more than 400 international runners. The top field is led by Moroccan stars
Rachid al Murabiti and his brother Mohammed al Murabiti in the men’s section and in the women’s section by Aziza al Amrani and Aziza al Raji and top Ukrainian veteran Evgeny. There are also top runners from France, Spain and other countries. We wish them to achieve success in the eighth edition at the golden Bidiya sands, which attracts tourist groups and lovers of adventure and exploration every year.”
“Organising such events has already put the Sultanate of Oman on global sports map and we are trying to improve our credentials by making these editions better. We also hope to attract more tourists and sports enthusiasts by holding such international events,” Al Hajri added.