DOHA: Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) will stage the first edition of the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 50km World Championship on December 4 at Aspire Zone, it was announced yesterday.
An official media briefing about the event will be held tomorrow in the presence of Abdullah Al Khater, Events Manager at Aspire Zone Foundation; Nadeem Khan, IAU Director of Communications; and Mohammad Sulaiman, Assistant Secretary General of the Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF).
The race will feature more than 100 of the world’s best ultrarunners, as selected by their respective national federations.
Strong competition is expected for the championship title between Zachary Ornelas, Harm Sengers, Shingirai Badza, Camille Herron, Kelly-Ann Varey, Marija Vraji?, and other world champions.
The participating runners represent 20 countries including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Mongolia, Holland, Norway, Serbia, Sierra Leon, Taipei, the United States, and Zimbabwe.
They will be split into the following categories: individual male/female, team male/female.
Simultaneously, Aspire Zone will also host the third edition of the “Aspire International 6:50 Race”, which will take place during the IAU international race weekend with the participation of 12 Qatari runners alongside 250 registered resident runners from 44 countries. This unique event gives local enthusiasts the opportunity to run alongside IAU professional ultrarunners.
Furthermore, a fan zone will be set up at the race site, which will include a number of activities and competitions for children and families.
It is worth noting that this championship is officially accredited by the IAU and will be hosted by Aspire Zone annually through to 2017.
Interested fans can visit www.lifeinaspire.qa for an update on rules and regulations, registration and for further information.
THE PENINSULA
