By Mohammed Ameenuddin
“Eat well and be active all year round” — the fitness mantra I lived by this 2022. And this helped me cross finish lines in my races – both in my fitness journey and in life.
Fitness is one of the things that I am passionate about, especially joining different races. With this in mind, I have started planning my yearly goals based on the fitness activities that I will take on that year. 2022 has been a rewarding year for me as I have joined and finished different races which challenged my abilities and determination.
The Spartan Race held on January 21, 2022 was my first event this year. The Saudi Sports for All Federation (SFA) has brought an amazing event that tested the participants’ limits in a fun and healthy way. The race took place over a 10-kilometer course, with 25 obstacles to overcome including mud, water, fire, and barbed wire. As this event was for all ages, it was great to see children starting to get into fitness activities at an early age.
Next on my list was the Riyadh Marathon that was held on March 5, 2022. It was a 42.2-kilometer race organized by SFA that took the athletes to different landmarks in the city such as the King Saud University, the historic Diriyah, and Digital City.
My preparation for the race was on track until the time that I had to make an impromptu visit to my family in February. With the looming marathon just weeks ahead, I decided to join a big local 10-kilometer race in London for cancer awareness to keep my training in balance while also enjoying my time with my family.
I was back in the Kingdom in time for the biggest race and the first official full marathon in Riyadh. SFA once again did an outstanding work in planning and executing such a momentous event. Seeing so many people from different parts of the world participating was such a pleasant sight. It was also a remarkable event for me to successfully finish the first edition of the Riyadh Marathon.
After Ramadan, I started training for the Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB, the main race that I challenged myself with this 2022. I joined the Menton-Nice 50K run which was held last September 24 that started with a vertical ascent to the Col du Berceau and ended at the Promenade des Anglais.
The preparation for this event helped me in staying motivated and in managing my time. Revolving the day around my runs and workouts has also helped me to be more productive in handling my work. Added bonus of taking on this race was spending a much-needed vacation with my family in France.
DQ Living collaborated as media partner with Race Arabia, a sports management company, for two of their major events: The Kingdom Tower Vertical Run and the Tuwaiq Hope Trail Race. I was fortunate to represent DQ Living in these two races.
The Kingdom Tower Vertical Run is where participants had to climb to the top of the Kingdom Tower at the 99th floor to take in the best view of Riyadh and support the Breast Cancer fighters. Four hundred and seventy-three finished the race, which comprised of 53 nationalities, 274 male and 197 female with ages ranging from 14 to 69 years old.
The Tuwaiq Hope Trail Race had three categories: Tuwaiq Hope 10 which is a nice introduction to trail running along the top of the Tuwaiq Escarpment, Tuwaiq Hope 20, a challenging course running through mountain and valley trails, and the Tuwaiq Hope 50, Najd’s first ultra-marathon traversing the Tuwaiq Escarpment and the surrounding diverse landscapes.
Around 55 nationalities, 30 plus sports clubs, and 700 runners with age ranging from 13 to 70 years participated in the beautiful Al Manjoor trail.
I represented DQ Living and despite falling on the mountain early on in the race, I managed to complete the 50-kilometer race. The top-notch aid stations with very knowledgeable volunteers and medical team were some of the best that I had seen in all of my races around the world. To know more about their events, visit their website at www.racearabia.sa and follow their social media accounts at @racearabia.
Before the year ends, I will undertake the Jeddah Half Marathon happening on December 10th. It will be a nice end to 2022 and will keep me pumped up for the new year.
It is not vital to do big runs and races for you to stay on track in your fitness journey, the main point is for you to keep your health a top priority. You can partner a health goal, like losing weight or getting active, with a specific event to look forward to so that you’ll be accountable to accomplish it.
We have many opportunities in KSA now as Saudi Sports for All and sports organizations such as Race Arabia are bringing is bringing in a lot of amazing fitness events for all ages and abilities. Be ready to pick your event for 2023 and let’s cross finish lines together!
