Winter has, apparently, widened its scope in Oman with the season welcoming a host of tough and challenging endurance sports events to set the fitness locomotion racing for all those who live to get their adrenaline rush on the sports field. From Obstacle Series to Ironman, the exciting line up of sports events has got even beginners signing up for a spot to check if they have it in them to endure the challenges posed by the sports.
Here is a quick look at some of the electrifying endurance races unfolding in the coming weeks and months:
National Obstacle Series
When: 19 October
Where: Jebel Sifah
Following the success of the first two National Obstacle Series (NOS) events earlier in the year, OPAL and Sabco Sports have partnered to host the ‘OPAL National Obstacle Series’ on October 19th, at Jebel Sifah. The unique event is the largest inflatable obstacle series in the Middle East, featuring nine state-of-the art custom made obstacles and a 3km course.
Starting at the marina from 1pm onwards, the season opening event will feature team, relay, endurance, and timed races. It will also include a 10km run and a golf challenge. With free car parking on site, the races are open for a long period of time allowing multiple-race entries and the opportunity to relax in the surroundings of Jebel Sifah.
Participants will earn themselves a special NOS t-shirt, and a colour coded NOS wristband. The more races participants complete in the year, the more wristbands they earn with the season ending race open only to those who have achieved sufficient race distinction.
The Sabco Sports Workout Tour takes place every Friday at Sultan Qaboos Sports complex from 8am for the general public and anyone wanting to get ready to tackle the course.
For more details visit nationalobstacleseries.com
Tough Mudder
Tough MudderWhen: 23 November
Where: Telal Al Qurum
Following a multi-year international licensing partnership with Tough Mudder Inc., Sabco Sports will host the first ‘Tough Mudder’ event this November in Muscat. Described as teamwork-focused, epic-obstacle-crammed and muddy fun-filled challenge, the sport is open for both seasoned endurance athletes and even those just starting their fitness journey – there is a ‘Tough Mudder’ event made for everyone. The sport is designed to test participants’ toughness and stamina.
Oman is the second country in the Middle East to host a ‘Tough Mudder’ event, the first being the United Arab Emirates in 2016. With more than 3 million global participants across five continents, ‘Tough Mudder’ has offerings ranging from accessible yet rewarding challenges, such as ‘Tough Mudder Half’ (5-mile event excluding fire, ice and electricity), to competitive events, such as ‘Tough Mudder X’ (the toughest mile on the planet) and ‘World’s Toughest Mudder ‘(24-hour endurance event).
OMAN by UTMB
OMAN by UTMBWhen: 29 November
Where: Oman
UTMB – The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) is a single-stage ultramarathon, described as one of the world’s most extreme sporting challenges. The inaugural OMAN by UTMB® event, hosted by Oman Sail, supported by Tanfeedh, Ministry of Tourism, UTMB® International and the organisers of UTMB® Mont-Blanc, will see an international field of 300 runners take on a non-stop rugged 137km course over the varied and mountainous terrain of Oman’s Jebel Akhdar. It will be.
The inaugural event will take competitors on a tough remote route that will include some of the most dramatic and varied scenery Arabia has to offer. Through villages, palm plantations, deep wadis and narrow gorges and along mountain top ridges, the route travels through the heights of Jebel Akhdar, the Green Mountain, peaking at over 2,200m. With a length of 137km and a vertical gain of over 7,800m this is a course packed with variety and challenge. The climbs are long and at times very technical and temperatures will vary greatly from 25C during the day in the valleys to around 10C in the mountains, where most of the course is run. With the fastest competitors expected to finish in around 20 hours, OMAN by UTMB® is designed as a unique journey for runners that highlights Oman’s natural beauty.
Al Mouj Muscat Marathon
Al Mouj Muscat Marathon When: 18 & 19 January, 2019
Where: Al Mouj Muscat
The eighth edition of the Muscat Marathon is a joint collaboration between Muscat Road Runners, Oman Athletics Association and Oman Sail, with the continued support of title sponsor Al Mouj Muscat. The centrepiece marathon race, along with the half-marathon, relay-marathon and 10km event, will be held on the opening day of the festival, Friday 18th January. The highly popular Kids’ Run and 5km Charity Fun Run will be held the following day.
The 42.195km tough marathon and 21.0975km half-marathon races will each have four categories – an open category with a minimum age of 17, and 40-49, 50-59 and 60+ age groups. The 10km event will have similar age groups though the open category is open to runners aged from 13. It will also have a junior category for 13 to 19 year-olds. The 5km Charity Fun Run is also open to runners aged 13 and above, while the Kids’ Run will have 1, 2 and 3km courses for youngsters aged 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12 years old respectively. The Relay Marathon event is open to teams of 4 to 6 runners in male, female and mixed groups, the mixed teams having at least two female runners.
The Al Mouj Muscat Marathon is also supported by the Ministry of Tourism and Tanfeedh.
IRONMAN 5i50 & 70.3
IRONMAN 5i50 & 70.3 When: 18 November (5i50); 1 March, 2019 (70.3)
Where: Muscat
Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Muscat will host its first ever 5i50™ triathlon on November 18. The 1.5km (.93 miles) swim, 40km (24.8 mile) and 10km (6.21mile) run is perfect preparation for athletes and beginners in the lead-up to the Ironman 70.3 event in 2019.
Athletes competing in the inaugural Ironman 70.3 event will complete a 1.9km (1.2 mile) swim, 90.1km (56 mile) bike ride and 21.1km (13.1 mile) run. The Arabian seas provide for a non-wetsuit swim, which will be held in the calm, clear waters beside the desirable suburb of Al Shatti in downtown Muscat.
Al Shatti is also the location of bike transition. Athletes will take on a bike route, passing all major monuments of Muscat. The single transition in Al Shatti provides convenience for athletes and a hot spot for spectators who will line the four-lap run course encircling the Royal Opera House and Intercontinental Hotel complex.
As supreme tests of physical and mental toughness, these races require both courage and determination, in addition to physical preparation. But the rewards are great: all finishers gain the sense of personal accomplishment, and for the fastest age groupers, Ironman 70.3 Oman will offer 30 qualifying slots for the 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Nice, France.
Haute Route
Haute Route 
When: 1 – 3 March, 2019
Where: Oman
Haute Route Oman road cycling event is hailed as a ‘must-do’ tough experience. It will offer a ‘professional’ road cycling experience for keen amateur cyclists of all abilities, providing high-end hospitality, rider services and expert event management in a setting that exactly mirrors the culture of the professional road racing circuit.
It will take riders approximately 370kms with over 6,500 metres of vertical gain on a course that will test stamina and skill with long, high-altitude mountain climbs and sweeping descents. The centrepiece of the Haute Route Oman experience is the magnificent Al Hajar mountain range and the iconic Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountain), one of the country’s most spectacular locations. The Hajar mountains offer severe and scenic climbs, which are every bit the equal of anything in the Alps, Pyrenees, Rockies or Dolomites, notes a press release from Oman Sail. Conditions in March will offer ideal, mid to low 20°C temperatures.
The event, managed by Oman Sail, is expected to appeal to both regionally-based amateur cyclists keen to immerse themselves in the Haute Route professional experience, and international riders seeking a new challenge amid the natural wonders of Oman.
Yes, it’s all happening in Oman this season!