‘Hottest race in the region’ ends without a hitch

ALULA: Temperatures rose to more than 43 degrees as 320 runners made it across the finish line for the second annual AlUla Desert Blaze on Saturday.

A DJ played energetic tunes to help motivate the runners at the start of the day and continued to play upbeat beats throughout the race. All participants, for the 5 km, 10 km, 21 km and 42 km, started at the same time but each had a different route and signage to help them find their way.

There were hydration stations every 2.5 km, along with bananas and cooling gels.

After the race, there were ice baths available as well as showers, games and snacks. And, of course, plenty of cold water and ice.

In the 5 km race, the female winners were Hana Nimry from Jordan, who was placed first, followed by Sundus Alhawsawi from Saudi Arabia in second and Angela Wober from Austria in third. For the males, Amin Abdullah from Afghanistan took first place, Mohammed Omar from Algeria came in second and Haiel Gebran Yahya from Saudi Arabia secured third.

In the 10 km race, Wafa Zaroual from Morocco claimed first place among the women, with Samar Jassim from Iraq in second and Jade Palmer from New Zealand in third. Youssef Nasir from Morocco topped the male category, followed by Bourhim El-Bouzyry from Morocco in second, and Ali Alshahrani from Saudi Arabia in third.

The 21 km race saw Elfinseh Demise Amare from Ethiopia finish first among the females, with her compatriots Arado Gulume Hailu and Welala Lemlem Girmay taking second and third places, respectively. In the male category, Mickael Gasc from France claimed first place, followed by Ahmad Yoosuf from Nigeria in second and Sebr Saleh from Eritrea in third.

Finally, in the 42.2 km race, the female winners were Eden Alemu Dadi from Ethiopia in first place, Bethlehem Nega Ferede from Ethiopia in second and Tetiana Maltseva from Ukraine in third. For the men, Abdelaziz Ahnida from Morocco took first place, with Amine Khadiri from Cyprus in second place and Tayron Fatuma Usen from Ethiopia in third.

Winners of the 10 km, 21 km and 42 km races split the prize money of SR176,000 ($46,900). All participants who crossed the finish line received a medal.

Mohammed Adel Flihan from Riyadh ran in the 10 km race and was excited for the chance to see his home country in a new light.

“I’m from Riyadh and this is my first time in AlUla. I’m excited to explore this historic, cultural and natural area in Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News.

“This isn’t my first race; I participated in the Riyadh Marathon in February. Since then, I’ve enjoyed participating in races — but the first time in the heat! Competing in the summer was a challenge but I’m enjoying it. I’m really impressed with the changes I’ve seen in the Kingdom and amazed that such a place exists in Saudi Arabia. I see people from all over the world coming to experience this event,” Flihan said.

Before the event, Oliver Marshall, medical director at the race, assured runners that safety was their first priority but that each person should self-monitor and not overexert.

“As it is every year, really listen to your body throughout the race; this is a really high-level heat race with 48 degrees and a really low wind. It’s really important to manage your hydration status — not only by staying hydrated — but really to be wary of not over-hydrating,” Marshall reminded runners.

There were no reported injuries or accidents, so the event was considered a success by the organizers.

On their website, AlUla Moments described the event as: “Taking place in the hottest month of the year, AlUla Desert Blaze pushes the limits of participants from all over the world. Runners will pass through AlUla’s most iconic sites, where the epic landscapes inspire them to push through to the finish. There is no other race like this in the region, making the AlUla Desert Blaze a ‘blaze of glory’ for those daring enough to take on this formidable challenge against nature.”

The Race Arabia team collaborated with the Royal Commission for AlUla for the race.

The 2025 AlUla Desert Blaze is expected to take place next summer.