Toughest thing I have ever done, by Sam Morris The Oman Desert Marathon (ODM) is one of the hardest endurance races around, but having run the 250km Marathon des Sables (MDS) across the Sahara last...
David Ohara
Oman by UTMB: True Grit
Oman by UTMB is supposed to be a tough ultramarathon (www.omanbyutmb.com) at 137km, with almost 8,000 meters of rocky vertical ascent and 44 hour time limit. But even the top elite runners are...
All Roads Lead to Rome Marathon
Olya, Alex and I first ran Rome Marathon together in 2014, and our most vivid memory of that marathon was the torrential downpour while we were waiting in the Start corral. We were so miserably wet...
The Joys and Thrills of Ultra Trail Running at Hajar 100
Urban Ultra has been the pillar of ultra-running in the Middle East for years, with a deep range of trail running events to include UTX50, Big Stinker, Mount Sana 60, Mleiha Dash, Kalba Kickr, and...
Mount Sana 60: Running Rocks in the Rain
Mount Sana 60 is the last ultra of the season for Urban Ultra, and it does not disappoint. The 60km is essentially an obstacle course, but with 10km of solid running between each obstacle. The crowd...
Dubai Marathon: Social Event for All Types of Runners
Getaneh Molla of Ethiopia won the Dubai Marathon in 2:03:34 and took home the $100,000 first prize. While I do not personally know Mr. Molla, I take note that this is the second time he and I have...
Desert Trail Backyard Ultra: The Most Brutal Easy Race
When Mark Buley was training for UTMB by Oman last fall, he heard about the original Big’s Backyard Ultra in Tennessee, organized by Lazarus Lake of Barkley Marathons fame. Mark got the ok to...
Sabkhas, Sand and Sandals
Midnight 50km Ultra on the Tropic of Cancer Running Max Calderan’s Tropic of Cancer 50km Ultramarathon in the Liwa Desert is an epic night event, and not just because of running sand dunes and...
Omaima’s Odyssey from Obesity to Ultra Runner
Omaima Mohammad The first time I met Omaima Mohammad was a few months ago while running with Desert Trail Runners. In July we both ran Al Qudra when it was over 50C. Despite our diverse backgrounds...
Drastic Times Call for Drastic Measures
Today I am hungry. Really teeth-grinding, hungry. I’m in the midst of week 4 of my weight loss program. Being constantly ravenously hungry is not a pleasant experience, but I have to do it. How did...