WADI BIH

Running 72 kilometers through a desert?!?!? Actually it was through the Wadi. A dry river bed with plenty of mountains all around and it was with a team of 5 people.  It is the oldest ex-pat race in the UAE that starts and ends in Dibba- the Sultanate of Oman.

  I joined a team with my friend Cara, a girl I play rugby with, along with Tim, Colleen, and Kingsley. The five of us divided the 72 k up into 1-4 k sections, each of us running 4 or 5 different parts throughout the day.

Cara, Me, Phil, and Tim waiting at a checkpoint = FUN

It was crazy how fast it went as you were never running for more than about 10 minutes er so. We had an awesome time, hopping in and out of the car, driven by Phil, Cara's fabulous husband, so none of us runners would have to drive. It was wonderful.  When one person got out to run the previous runner would just hop in the car we drive to the next check point and wait for our runner to come in. Cheering and yelling them along as we passed groups left and right and finished with a great time.

Kingsley & Colleen at the 1/2 point

Afterwards we met a man and a woman who ran the entire race solo, one of them even ran the entire thing TWICE, as they had started at midnight and were just finishing when we were. No thanks.  I can't imagine running all 72 k, up and down the massive hills in this desert heat alone.

Sleepin on the car ride home...exhausted

It was a great race- baton in hand it was the best lengthy 4x4 ever- one that I will never forget as I do hope to run it again next year!