MUSCAT: Hamed al Harthi, one of the Sultanate of Oman’s most experienced trail runners, crossed the finish line in Sur at 5.30 pm on Monday after completing the epic 560 km ‘Border to Coast’ self-challenge in eight days.
Starting from Um Zumul, on the border of Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, on March 13, he was joined by local runners and well-wishers throughout the journey and raised money for donate.om, the Sultanate of Oman’s donations portal for charitable organisations.
After pushing the limits and going above and beyond age, Hamed confirmed his arrival in Sur by posting ‘mission accomplished!’ on his Instagram account where he had been charting progress throughout the challenge and sharing footage of the run captured by his own team and those running alongside him. In total, he managed to raise donations from 107 people through the donate.om portal.
Speaking after completing the challenge, Hamed said: “The challenge was very tough and our plans had to change. I was hoping to finish in six to seven days, but the temperatures in the desert were hotter than expected and that slowed down our progress. It was very hot and we could only sleep for three hours everyday, and this – as well as injuries – was the hardest part. Sometimes the wind was on our side so we could increase our speed, and catch up, and the support team was fantastic. Without them we could not have achieved our goal. They kept us on track and motivated. I am grateful for their assistance throughout and very happy to have completed this challenge!”
The route took Hamed from Um Zumul close to the border area, through to Lekhwair and Fahud before reaching the Wilayat of Adam. From there, he ran to Sinaw, Al Mudhaibi, Al Qabil, Al Wasil and then through to the final destination in Sur. On each stage he was supported by a technical and logistics team to ensure his safety and maintain the correct course and cheered on by supporters.
Hamed (63-year-old), a life-long runner, said that this achievement stands alongside the greatest accomplishments in his career and the challenge of different terrains, high daytime temperatures and cold nights in the desert was unlike anything he had encountered before.
Hamed competed in OMAN by UTMB and Ushuaia by UTMB in Argentina in 2019, UTMB Mont-Blanc 2021 and reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro the same year. He plans to continue taking on epic challenges all around the world and will now turn his attentions to recovery before making a step to another challenge. – ONA
