ALULA: Jon Albon and Alisa Petrova were the respective men’s and women’s winners of the inaugural Tough Mudder Infinity event, which took place in AlUla with an overall prize pot of $480,000, the largest in obstacle course racing history.
The race featured over 1,000 participants for the first event of its kind in the Middle East North Africa region. More than 40 countries were represented, and there were also several local athletes participating including Nelly Attar, the first Arab woman to climb K2, and Rakan Al-Thaqafi, a Saudi Arabian amateur boxing champion.
As expected, the men’s race came down to a battle between long-time rivals and obstacle course racing legends Albon, from the UK, and Canada’s Ryan Atkins. The two men have been involved in several epic contests over the years and this was no exception, as they led from the front for long spells. It was the Brit who eventually crossed the line to take the $80,000 prize, with Mark Batres, from the US, finishing third.
“It was tough, it was a tough course in its own way, the sand and the terrain and the fact it was flat made it really challenging as your legs got stiff on the sand,” Alton said.
“It was over two years since I last did an obstacle course race, so it was nice to come back and find out whether I can do some obstacles. I really enjoyed the rings — I realized I hadn’t lost my touch.”
On the prize money, he added: “Not too shabby — it’s the best payday I’ve had from a race which is the cherry on the cake.”
He also provided his thoughts on AlUla. “I had no idea where I was coming, the rock formations were nice and then I went into the Old Town — it was the most interesting town, lit up old school buildings in the valley of these cliffs. It was a nice place, it’s going to develop so quickly and it’s interesting to see how many events will come here in the future.”
The women’s race was equally exciting, as Petrova edged out the US’ Nicole Mericle and Switzerland’s Janka Pepova to walk away with the $80,000.
She said: “It was the first Tough Mudder race I’ve ever done — I’ve never ran so long before. I did 90 km, the longest race I did.
“I tried sky running before, which was 50 km, and it was so tough. The last two laps were so tough and my body started rejecting food and I could only drink water.
“My legs are so sore, and I’m so tired but so happy. First time winning a big race — I’ve never been first at a world championship. Thanks to my training, my supporters, and my husband, I’m so happy. Now I need to eat and sleep.”
There were also competitions for teams of two and four.
The two-person race was won by French duo Thibault Jean and Gregory Basilico, who finished ahead of Tyler Veerman and Kris Brown.
In the four-person race, meanwhile, it was the European elite, made up of Jesse de Heer, Stijn Lagrand, Luca Pezzani and Goncalo Prudencio, who came out on top.
Nic Cartwright, Tough Mudder Middle East license holder, said: “We’re thrilled to bring the first ever Tough Mudder Infinity in the Middle East, right here in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. Athletes from over 40 nations battled it out for the largest prize pool in OCR history, while a total of 1,000 participants pushed their limits across all race courses — a testament to the growing sport of obstacle course racing in the region.
“Our incredible partners at the Royal Commission of AlUla were instrumental in bringing this vision to life and showcasing AlUla’s breathtaking landscape to the world. After this successful inaugural event, we look forward to bringing more exciting OCR experiences to the region in years to come.”
