Dubai: The XDubai Spartan Race in Hatta is here to stay, according to one of the top organisers of the event.
Mohammad Javad, General Manager, XDubai was a relieved man after the successful organisation of the inaugural event that was held at the Hatta Mountain Bike Trail Centre in Hatta on Friday.
Sergey Perelygin of Russia and Maria Jankowska of Poland topped the men’s and women’s categories in the Beast category of the race that attracted more than 3,000 competitors from across the region. With much of the attention on the professional Beast race over 20km and 30 obstacles, a huge majority of athletes also took part in the 5km Sprint race.
“It is a huge sense of relief to go through such a race with everyone safe and sound,” Javad told Gulf News.
“There are a few things that we need to build on and a few things that we will also need to alter to ensure this event becomes even bigger next year. I am convinced that this event has been great for the region, not just from the sports point of view but from an eco-tourism aspect as per the directions of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” he added.
The first of three race categories was flagged off at 7.30am with more than 1,000 athletes competing against time. The super cool Perelygin from Russia was the first to cross the finish line with a time of 2.43.47 to claim the top prize of $5,000 (Dh18,500) and trophy. The women’s crown was won by Emirates cabin crew Maria Jankowska in a time of 3:46.57 hours leaving international professionals Ivana Kolaric and Angelique Chetaneau in second and third respectively.
“For us this race was about bringing people together. And today we had a crowd of more than 10,000 who came to witness an event that is bound to be a regular feature in Hatta,” Javad noted.
“The success of this inaugural event signifies the effort put in by the various government departments in meeting the targets set down by our leaders. The Spartan word will spread and we will fulfil the basic aim of promoting this place as a unique destination in the UAE,” he added.
