International athletes are pumped up following the announcement of a new desert challenge in 2015.
The inaugural Liwa Challenge Master Trek will be a gruelling endurance run through the stunning but treacherous Liwa Desert. Athletes can choose from a 100km or 200km course, both of which finish at the summit of the 100-metre tall Tel Moreeb, one of the highest sand dunes in the Empty Quarter.
Throughout the trek, runners will be self-sufficient, carrying their water, food, sleeping equipment and compass in a backpack. Each runner will have his own GPS to help navigate through the series of checkpoints and clocking beacons. Acknowledging the safety aspects of such an intense desert challenge, the organisers also require the runners to carry various safety equipment including an anti-venom pump, a whistle and an emergency flare.
Running from 7th to 15th February, the event is already attracting a host of international athletes from the UAE, Europe, Canada, New Zealand and USA.
The Liwa Challenge Master Trek is organised by French telecom company, Orange, who have hosted similar desert treks since 2006 in the North African Maghreb region. Orange hopes to make the Abu Dhabi instalment an annual event.
To register for the inaugural Liwa Challenge Master Trek or find out more about this challenging trek, visit: www.liwachallenge.com
