Oman’s long-distance runner, Hamed al Harthi, has returned from the Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB
race with a lot of learnings. The race which started in the snowy peaks of the French Alps to the clear
blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Nice had its diverse set of challenging conditions but
determined Al Harthi pushed the limits to complete 115km out of the 165km distance in 33 hours
but had to withdraw due to injury. From the start to the withdrawal point, Hamed accumulated a
total elevation of 6,500 metres, with the conditions ranging from terrestrial rains, slippery slopes to
frost, but with 51km still to go he was left with no option but to stop running.
He said, “Immediately after the start of the race there was a very steep hill with 1,600 metres in
elevation, from the summit of 2,600 metres we crossed the peak in extreme cold conditions and I fell
a couple of times on the rocks. At night the weather became treacherous, and I could not feel my
fingers. After more than 115km the pain in my hands and the blisters in my feet was too much and
unbearable, so I decided to withdraw to prevent further injuries.”
“It was tough, very challenging, but I have learned a lot and will continue to train for the next
challenge,” he added.
Oman was also represented by a host of star runners and promising athletes like Saud al Nasibi,
Naama al Hashhmi, Sami al Saidi, Essam al Zadjali, Issa al Abri, Hamed al Qassabi and Yahya al Abri,
who all gave their best performance in tough ultra run.
Despite this setback, 64-year-old Hamed is certain this experience will not be the last of his
illustrious ultra-marathon career. Speaking upon his return to Oman, he was enthusiastic about
learning a lot from this race and his desire to continue training. Hamed is a lifelong runner and has
finished many of the world’s most challenging races, including Oman by UTMB in 2018, Argentina’s
Ushuaia by UTMB in 2019 and UTMB Mont Blanc 2021. He has also reached the summit of Mount
Kilimanjaro and completed the epic 560km ‘Border to Coast’ challenge from Um Zumul, where the
borders of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates converge, to Sur in
eight days. He was supported by Vodafone Oman in this venture in Nice, France.
