Oman Desert Marathon 2023 Concludes

Bidiyah: The Wilayat of Bidiyah in the North Al Sharqiyah Governorate, the Oman Desert Marathon 2023 in its eighth edition, organized by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, concluded today from the 21st to the 24th of this month, with the participation of more than /400/ Male and female contestants from 40 different countries of the world, in addition to the contestants from the Sultanate of Oman.

Saeed bin Hamad Al Hajri, General Supervisor of the Oman Desert Marathon, said in a speech during the closing ceremony: The marathon this year came in a new way after the success of the past seven editions, which were launched in 2013. The race distance reached 165 km and was divided into four stages, the first stage. A distance of 47 km, the second stage a distance of 55 km, while the third stage of the race was held for a distance of 42 km, and the race concluded with the fourth stage, which was 21 km long.

Al-Hajri explained: The race contributes in turn to expanding the base of the local economy and promoting local tourism in the Wilayat of Bidiyah and the Governorate of North A’Sharqiyah, as this year’s race is distinguished by a new look after it was approved by the International Association of Runners, which awarded the current version 3  points for the marathon represented in points. The mountain has a distance of 164.40, with a horizontal height of 1570 meters.

The results of the race came after the end of the fourth stage, which is 21 km long, and which started from the Shujab area to the tourist resort of Jawharat Bidiyah, with the Moroccan runner Mohamed Al-Murabati crowning first place in this year’s race in the men’s singles category, after he covered the race distance in its four stages, amounting to / 165 km in a time of 14 hours, 13 minutes and 15 seconds, while his compatriot and brother, runner Rachid Al Mourabiti, came second with a time of 14 hours, 41 minutes and 23 seconds, and the runner dissolved. Saleh Al-Saeedi came in third place from the Sultanate of Oman after he covered a time of 15 hours, 31 minutes and 30 seconds, and the runner Sami Al-Saeedi from the Sultanate of Oman came in fourth place with a time of 16 hours, 17 minutes and 11 seconds, and the runner Hamdan Al Khatri from the Sultanate of Oman ranked fifth, with a time of 16 hours, 24 minutes and 14 seconds.

In the team category, the TGCC team consisting of Moroccan runners Mohamed Al-Mourabiti and Rachid Al-Mourabiti won the first place, and the Royal Army of Oman team A consisting of the runners Saleh Al-Saeedi, Sami Al-Saeedi and Hamdan Al-Khatiri won the third place, and the Royal Army of Oman team won the third place. B/ consisting of runners Musa Al Balushi and Ghaith Saif.

As for the female individual category, the Swiss runner Corinna won the first place after covering the race distance of 165 km in a time of 19 hours, 39 minutes and 28 seconds, and the Moroccan runner Aziza Al-Amrani came in second place with a time of 16. 1 hour, 46 minutes and 10 seconds ahead of her compatriot Azza Al-Raji, who finished third with a time of 20 hours, 28 minutes and 07 seconds.

At the end of the race, His Excellency Sheikh Ali bin Ahmed Al Shamsi, Governor of North Al Sharqiyah, sponsor of the ceremony, crowned the runners who won first places in the men’s and women’s singles categories and the team category, in addition to honoring the participating and supporting entities of the race’s activities.