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When Greek messenger Pheidippides burst into Athens in 490 BC, having run the first marathon, he probably never imagined his superhuman effort would one day be considered passé. He may not have had time to reach that thought. The legend goes he collapsed and died upon delivering his news.
Yet that’s the world we live in today. For a growing number of athletes, 26.2 miles (42.19km) is not enough. For these restless souls, Pheidippides’ other feat, a 150-mile dash from Athens to Sparta, is more aspirational.
The rise of ultramarathon running has been unstoppable in the 21st century. Steve Diederich, the founder of global race database Run Ultra, says 12 years ago he had around 60 events listed. Now he estimates there’s somewhere between 2,200 and 2,300.
Many ultras offer relatively safe and regulated access to some of the remotest spots on Earth. “There’s some incredible parts of the world where it’s a huge privilege to go – and a real privilege to cross these areas on foot,” says Diederich.
The Marathon des Sables in the Moroccan Sahara has long been considered the blue ribband desert ultra, and one of the longest at approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles). But last month an even longer race was born in the Dubai desert.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
The 270 kilometer (168 mile) Al Marmoom Ultramarathon, touted as the longest desert ultramarathon in the world, took place for the first time in December in the Dubai desert.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
Runners raced across the desert for five days, with each of the four stages longer than a marathon.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
The Al Marmoom conservation area covers 10% of Dubai and contains lakes, wildlife and sand dunes for miles on end.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
A six-time winner of the 250-kilometer (155-mile) Marathon des Sables, Rachid El Morabity from Morocco won the men's race in 31 hours and 17 minutes.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
Magdalena Boulet from the US won the women's race -- one of only four women to complete the 270 kilometer edition of the inaugural ultramarathon.
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The Al Marmoom reserve is home to numerous rare species including the
Arabian Oryx, once thought to be extinct in the wild.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
Runners rehydrated at check points. Some of the landscape was so remote that in an emergency, only air evacuation was possible.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
Running these distances in the desert is "not something that is taken on lightly" says race manager Ole Brom, who adds that on the first day one athlete collapsed unconscious after becoming dehydrated.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
Pure joy from Ukranian Oksana Riabova as she crosses the finish line, completing the 270 kilometer race in 42 hours and 17 minutes.
Set in a rugged national conservation area, the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon claims to be the longest desert ultra in the world. The 270km (168 mile) route was run over five days in December in temperatures as high as 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
In its inaugural year, 19 runners (15 men and four women) completed the race, with 36-year-old Moroccan Rachid El Morabity – a six-time Marathon des Sables winner – crossing the finish line first in 31 hours and 17 minutes. Eleven runners didn’t make it, as well as many others in the shorter 100 km and 50 km versions of the race.
Race manager Ole Brom oversaw of the health and wellbeing of the athletes. Running these distances across energy-sapping sand amounts to an extreme sport, the Norwegian told CNN, and “not something that is taken on lightly.”
“On the first day after about 40 km, about 12 km from the end, (one athlete) collapsed unconscious,” says Brom. “He ignored the signs of dehydration and he suffered the consequences.”
Stretches of the race, including one 100-kilometer leg, were only accessible by air for first responders, explained event director Ruth Dickinson. Athletes wore tracking devices and distress beacons and carried anti-venom pumps in case of snake bites.
courtesy Dubai Sports Council and FittGROUP Middle East
Magdalena Boulet from the US won the women's race -- one of only four women to complete the 270 kilometer edition of the inaugural ultramarathon.
Running across the dunes was not without its rewards. “(It’s) really peaceful,” says 45-year-old female race winner Magdalena Boulet, “(you) can’t really see anything for miles and miles.”
“It’s mesmerizing,” Brom adds. “On certain routes there were Oryx, there were sand gazelle, mountain gazelles. We saw eagles (and) a lot of different migrating birds.” (As a designated conservation area, runners were penalized for dropping trash and required to bury human waste, should nature call.)
There were still smatterings of luxury, with racers provided hot water, tents and massages between stages. Brom says some athletes told him they’d return for the toilets alone.
Handout/Getty Images Europe/Red Bull via Getty Images
Dubai has become an adrenaline junkie's playground. These are just some of the extreme sports on show in the emirate.
Cliff diving -- The Red Bull Cliff Diving series stopped off at the Dubai Marina in 2016, where athletes leaped off an 89 foot platform in front of huge crowds.
KARIM SAHIB/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Flyboarding -- Attach a wakeboard with two pipes to a powerful jet ski and you get flyboarding, one of Dubai's more surreal watersports. Daredevils can reach heights of up to 30 feet above the water's surface.
courtesy skydive dubai
Skydiving -- One of the best views of the Palm Jumeirah is from the air. Skydive Dubai offers jumps from 13,000 feet in tandem, meaning you can enjoy the views while someone else pulls the parachute cord. Two thumbs up, indeed.
courtesy Skydive Dubai
BASE jumping -- Dubai has seen some spectacular -- and legal -- stunts. Soul Flyers World Champions Fred Fugen and Vincent Reffet broke the world record for the highest BASE jump from a building in 2014 when they scaled the Burj Khalifa. The jump involved three years of planning and training in the Swiss Alps.
KARIM SAHIB/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Gyrocoptering -- One of the best ways to see Dubai's epic skyline is by gyrocopter. Reach dizzying heights and look on at the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Urban Climbing -- Not all urban climbing is strictly legal, but it seems to be perennially popular. In 2016
The National reported a Russian model dangled over the edge of the Cayan Tower for a hair-raising -- and illegal -- selfie. But the king of the sport Alain Robert (pictured) climbed the Burj Khalifa with the Municipality's blessing in 2011. Incredibly, he scaled all 2,717 feet in just six hours.
Francois Nel/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Skiing -- Escape the desert heat at Ski Dubai, the Middle East's first indoor ski resort. At 24 degrees Fahrenheit, glide down snow-laden slopes and attempt to jump a 10 feet ramp.
Ziplining -- In 2015 Dubai featured one of the world's only urban zip lines. Thrill seekers begin at 300 feet and reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, traversing through downtown Dubai.
Francois Nel/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Jetskiing -- Speed along Dubai's coastline on a jet ski past the famous Palm Jumeirah archipelago and Sheikh Island. Pick the right weekend and you can watch competitors go full pelt in pursuit of glory.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Dune-bashing -- Four Wheel Drives race through the desert as they partake in 'Dunebashing'. Dune bashing is one of the most popular pastimes for tourists when they visit the desert, and involves vehicles driving at high speed over the undulating landscape.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Rally biking -- British motorcyclist James West drives his 690 cc KTM Rally bike during the five-day UAE Desert Challenge Rally in Dubai. Less extreme options are available should you wish to take two wheels into the dunes.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Rally driving -- If you'd rather have four wheels when tearing through the desert, Dubai's got you covered too.
Warren Little/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images for Arena
Surfing -- We're not sure how good a surfer Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Chad Le Clos is, but he looks good in a pair of board shorts and ready to hang five near the Atlantis Hotel on The Palm.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Shark Diving -- Visit the Dubai Mall and guests have the option to dive with the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo's resident sharks. Divers have the option to hop on a "
Shark Scooter," so you can spend less time swimming and more time cruising in the deep.
In 2015, consultancy firm Deloitte estimated sports-related expenditure in Dubai totaled $1.7 billion annually. The government is actively looking to grow the sector as part of plans to further diversify its economy.
Extreme sports have played an increasing role in raising Dubai’s status as a sporting destination. A photo-friendly training session on the Burj Al Arab helipad was once the preserve of A-list athletes like Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. Now you’re as likely to see a kitesurfer jumping off. Events such as Red Bull-sponsored cliff diving in the marina and base jumping exploits from the Burj Khalifa by Skydive Dubai have made headlines around the world.
The Al Marmoom Ultramarathon will join 400-plus local sporting events ranked by the Dubai Sports Council. Acting director of events Ghazi Al Madani says planning for 2019’s race is already underway.
Brom believes transit hub Dubai could become a nexus for desert ultra runners, playing host to regular events in its “backyard.” “Ten percent of the landmass of Dubai is sand,” he adds, “so it makes perfect sense.”