Muscat: Endurance sports lovers in Muscat can soon reserve another day on their calendar, as the Muscat Triathlon Club (MTC) hopes to make next year's Muscat Paradise Triathlon an even bigger affair.
Held at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah resort on Friday, the 17th of March, this latest edition of the triathlon saw the endurance and determination of Oman's fitness enthusiasts tested to the limit.
"We had more than 140 people register with us for the Muscat Paradise Triathlon," said Fathiya Al Rasadi, Director of Sales and Marketing for MTC. "The triathlon contains of different sports: sprinting, swimming and biking and all three are designed to test the stamina of the people who participated in today's race."
"We had two main categories for the athletes, the first is the Olympic category, which consists of a 1,500m swim, followed by a 40km and a 10km run, while the second is the Sprint category, which featues a 750m swim, a 20km bike ride and a 5km run," she added. "We've also extended the participation to children, with a junior bracket, which invites younger participants to bike 2km and then dart 500m on foot for their duathlon."
Al Rasadi was pleased to see so many people travel to take part in the triathlon, not just from Oman, but the rest of the GCC and beyond as well.
"This time, we had many people travel from Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Kuwait, alongside many of Oman's residents, and we've also received registrations from people who live as far away from the USA and Canada, and these are very positive things to see," she said. "Next year, hopefully, we can make it an even bigger race."
"These sorts of races are extremely strenuous, so I would advise anyone who is going to take part in a similar event to this to prepare at least six months in advance, and watch their diet, because these sorts of races are a test not just physically, but mentally as well," explained Al Rasadi. "Of course, we have several aid stations throughout the race course, but it is always best to prepare yourself in the best possible manner for such events."