Through rocky terrain, flats, bumpy roads, and one giant climb, the Tuwaiq Hope runners made it through one of the first trail races in the Riyadh region. It was one for the history books, as the field took on the trail challenge with less than 3 weeks notice.
Congratulations to all the runners who took on this challenge, from the Electric 10K runners to the Tuwaiq Hope Half Marathon runners! You, along with the truly incredible event management team, made it all happen.
Here are a few quick statistics from the race:
Electric 10K: 61 Starters, and 60 Finishers (98% Finishing Rate)
Tuwaiq Hope Half Marathon: 102 Starters, and 99 Finishers (97% Finishing Rate)
Tuwaiq Hope Winners List
A special congratulations goes out to the winners from the Tuwaiq Hope Trail Race who really outdid themselves to earn the top spots:
Electric 10K
Women Overall
Maria Coker
Claire Turner
Halima Mrabti
Men Overall
Ivo Benidio
Kevinn Bishop
Steven Hartwich
Women 40+
Maria Coker
Men 40+
Primoz Ivancic
Raed Alali
Hussain Al Ghazwi
Men 60+
Ameen Al-Khulaitit
Tuwaiq Hope Half Marathon
Women Overall
Rosine Watson
Perrine Fages
Ronel Wienand
Men Overall
Naif Bin Hubaysh
Juha-Matti Huhtanen
Abdulelah Al Bakri
Women 40+
Perrine Fages
Ronel Wienand
Adele Baker
Men 40+
Salem Alwadiy
Rey Sajulga
Paul Roberson
Women 60+
Afaf Kaddour
Men 60+
Pierre Delbecq
Rafat Alsahhaf
Notes on Organization
It was our absolute pleasure organizing the Tuwaiq Hope Trail Race. Every race we organize presents its own challenges, but a trail race was a new experience, not only for the participants, but for us to organize as well.
This event was particularly difficult to manage given the logistical challenges it presented. Those challenges included areas where there was no mobile service, unmapped areas for directions, the difficult terrain in marking the course, the great distances needed to drive to get to the bottom portion of the course (more than 1.5 hours), and the list goes on and on..
The organzing team worked tirelessly and almost all of us got no sleep the night before the race. Hopefully, the quality and experience of the race reflected the amount of effort that was put in, not just from a logistical standpoint, but also from the contributions of the amazing stakeholders and sponsors. We cannot thank our sponsors enough:
Qasr Alawani - for being the main sponsor of the event
Ministry of Sports - for their organizational support
Saudi Arabian Athletic Federation - for their organizational support
Advsto - for providing awards and the race kit distribution venue
Noon - for providing awards and gifts for all participants
Nova - for keeping us hydrated
Burj Al Hamam Catering - for feeding us incredible shawermas
O.R.S. - for sports hydration and replenishing our electrolytes and minerals
Sabikah - for providing us with lovely snacks on-the-go
In Conclusion...
This event presented a new type of challenge: a rocky trail race in the heart of the Kingdom, and on a symbolically important plateau in Tuwaiq. Putting the race together at this location, and being able to take in the incredible landscapes from the top of Najd was a breathtaking experience. Sometimes, we take for granted the beautiful and fragile ecosystem we are a part of, and the rich history and culture of our region. This race is a new way to celebrate these things, and present them to the public through sports. This was our first major trail race, but we promise you, it will not be the last.
Until then, keep training, keep running, and let's enjoy the beautiful outdoors during this wonderful Saudi winter season!