The Hash House Harriers (HHH), as they were known, enjoyed the great outdoors and exploring the wadis. Back in 1993 one of these pioneers, John Gregory, who himself was a long-term expatriate and resident of RAK since the late 1970s, hit upon the idea of a run from the Arabian Gulf coast through the wadis, up over the high backbone ridge of the Musandam mountains to descend into Dibba on the Gulf of Oman. The route followed a very rough track through the wadis and over the mountains which was a tenuous transportation link suitable only for four-wheel drives and frequently washed out by flash floods.
The essence and character of the run was for a team of 5 to be self-sufficient, with their own support vehicle, to face the physical challenges and navigate from coast to coast. There was always a degree of uncertainty on whether the event could follow the desired route through to the Gulf of Oman as the Wadi above Dibba would frequently be washed out by flash floods in the winter.
Wadi Bih Run is synonymous with teamwork where the camaraderie of the five team members is key to success. The original participants were typically social teams from various local running groups, from the Hash House Harriers, from different emirates in the UAE.
However, the event now attracts teams from various schools, companies and running clubs and provides a great format and environment for teambuilding and bonding.
The original format of the race consisted only of team relay and the solo category was introduced as a regular feature recently for fanatical runners who want to challenge themselves. To open up the event to other less extreme solo runners a 50km solo was introduced in 2014 and in 2018 the Zighy 30 was introduced.
It’s fantastic that Wadi Bih Run, a unique local organically developed team relay running format is now being taken to the wadis and mountains of Hatta to explore new areas.
Hatta is an exclave of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, high in the Hajar Mountains and the restored, centuries-old Hatta Heritage Village features a defensive tower, stone houses with palm-frond roofs, and falaj, the traditional water system, traditional weapons, furniture and crockery. At the nearby Hatta Dam, the Hatta Reservoir Visitor Point overlooks the pools of striking green water.
The village of Hatta along with its farms and agricultural communities are a complete contrast to the hectic chaotic city life of Dubai. It allows people to witness the old traditional lifestyle, at one with nature.
The Wadi Bih Run is a fantastic event that has a special meaning to all of the participants that have taken part in the 25-year history.
Some of the characteristics that summarize Wadi Bih Run are:
• Teams pushing themselves in a wild terrain
• Remote mountainous scenery
• Wadis
• Dramatic geography and setting
In taking the Wadi Bih Run brand to Hatta the team will retain these elements whilst adding new features and appealing aspects.
Like the Musandam mountains of Dibba, Hatta is again a rugged mountainous environment but with a distinctly different character with rugged jagged fractured weathered red-brown igneous granite and basalt geological formations rising from the lush green wadi beds adorned with palm trees vegetation and wildlife.
The dominant feature of the area is the jagged centre piece of Jebel Hatta rising to an altitude of over 1300 m and a focal point for the dispersion of the multitude of tortuous wadis feeding down into the main Wadi Hatta.
The Wadi Bih Run 2018 Hatta edition will use the beautiful JA Hatta Fort Hotel as a start/finish point and as a venue for the event. ■
