ABU DHABI: Sergei Perelygin and Lindsay Webster have been crowned Spartan World Champions after conquering an all-new obstacle course in Al-Wathba to beat the world’s best athletes at the weekend.
The event — only the second time it has been held outside the US — was organized by Abu Dhabi Sports Council in partnership with Spartan, which is the world’s leading endurance sports and wellness brand.
Taking place at Al-Wathba Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, the race saw international athletes from more than 80 countries compete for the men’s and women’s individual World Championship Super, with more than $125,000 in prize money on offer.
On Saturday, athletes from both categories tackled a number of challenging obstacles, including A-Frame Cargo, Atlas Carry and Ape Hanger.
Perelygin, who settled for an impressive second place in last year’s race, won the Men’s Elite 2022 title following the completion of the 10 km race in a time of 1 hour, 3 minutes, 47 seconds. The Russian beat his rival Ryan Atkins by 0.12 seconds, who achieved a time of 1:03:59.
“I’ve always dreamed of being a Spartan World Champion since I first began competing back in 2015,” said Perelygin. “I’m very happy as it’s only my second world championship. Last year was very hard to compete against Ryan Atkins, he pushed me as much as I pushed him. Last year he got the finish but this year it was my turn. If you believe in your dreams, it can happen.”
The women’s category saw Canadian Webster victorious in 1:12:49 to claim her fourth title, whilst Slovakian and European Spartan Champion, Ezster Hortobagyiova, finished second in 1:14:52.
“This year’s race felt a lot shorter. I thought the terrain was going to be equally as tough but it was sufficiently easier,” said Webster. “I feel relieved, it’s been a big lead-up to this event so it felt really good to get out there. We’re excited to be back in Abu Dhabi, they completely spoil athletes here and take really great care of you.”
Suhail Abdulla Alareefi, executive director of the event sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, said: “It’s the second year Abu Dhabi has held the Spartan World Championship and we’re extremely proud of the large and diverse participation from both men and women. It’s been a tremendous turnout. Hosting such an established brand within the region further cements our efforts to encourage the community to get fit and take part in activities like Spartan.”
Alareefi and Joe De Sena, CEO and founder of Spartan, presented the winners and runners up from each category with their awards. “Being back in Abu Dhabi for this year’s Spartan World Championship and be among this ever-growing community is tremendously exciting,” said De Sena.
In addition to the two elite races, the event also showcased the Age Group World Championship with winners crowned across 10 categories, from ages 14 to over 60.
