Organised by Urban Ultra and sponsored by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), the ‘Urban Ultra X-Tri Cross Country Triathlon’ was held yesterday in Kalba on the outskirts of Sharjah. The event brought together 37 tri-athletes from 13 countries; UK, France, Switzerland, USA, Holland, Italy, Australia, Germany, Zimbabwe, Philippine, Finland, Canada and the UAE.Dutchman Jan Willem Beijer took the top spot, winning the Championship race, the first and longest element of the competition. He completed its 1.5 km of swimming, 35 km of mountain biking and 10 km of running, in 3 hours, 05 minutes, 03 seconds and 0.6 milliseconds. Briton Paul Miles took the second place clocking at 3:35:19:0.7, while Australian Peter Mueller finished in third place posting a time of 3:40:47:0.4. Swiss Sarah Bagnuoli was the first female tri-athlete to finish the Championship course ranking 6th with a time of 03:52:27:0.1.
The Sports course, the second and shorter element of the competition, offered half the distances in the three disciplines, with 750 m of swimming, 18.5 km of mountain biking and 5 km of trail running. Briton Kevin Bradford won first place in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 07 seconds and 0.8 milliseconds. Filipino Ferdinand Deguzman took second place, recording a time of 01:44:31:0.6, followed by Briton Stuart Caunt who finished in third place in 01:44:56:00. Emirati Hashem Al Harbi finished the Sports course, clocking a time of 01:51:04:0.9. Briton Emily Fitzgerald was the first female athlete to finish the course in 02:10:55:0.3.Many tri-athletes, athletes, adventurers and multi-sport enthusiasts participated in the race in its two parts. Nineteen competitors took part in the Championship course, including five female tri-athletes, while 18 competitors participated in the Sports course, including two female athletes. This year’s edition of the race had a pro-athlete prize fund of AED 20,000, sponsored by Shurooq.
Speaking on the remarkable success that the triathlon achieved and the strong competition between participants, Pascal de Jong, Course Director at Urban Ultra, said; “We are extremely happy with the success of this wonderful sporting event. It was great to see Emirati citizen participates in the triathlon, setting an example to other citizens who will be inspired and encouraged to participate in similar future events. This resounding success ensures Sharjah’s place on the sporting landscape and promotes it to a new level in the sector.” She added; “We successfully organised the race as one among many health and sport initiatives that aim to encourage people in the UAE to undertake sport, fight overweight and follow a healthy life style. The triathlon was a great opportunity for all people, male and female, friends and colleagues, to practice different sports in the months prior to the race in order to reach the fitness level needed to participate. Although we encourage the race as being fun, we also advise that participants shouldn’t underestimate the courses’ routes. Many seasoned tri-athletes came back saying that it is the friendliest and most picturesque triathlon they have competed in, but also the toughest.”
Commenting on the sponsoring of the race, Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, Chief Operating Officer of Shurooq, said; “We are very proud to have sponsored the X-Tri Cross Country Triathlon, which is the one of the most important outdoor sport events in the UAE. Many competitors from different nationalities participated in the race and its great success means that it will continue to attract more tri-athletes and sports enthusiasts for its future editions.” Al Qaseer added; “The UAE’s wise leadership offers unlimited support and encouragement with sports in order to build a physically fit and healthy society. Sponsoring this race is the least we can do to reflect our commitment to communal responsibility in line with the important vision of our leadership. We seek to support sport initiatives that suit all people, amateurs and professional athletes, both male and female and will continue to encourage people to lead a healthy lifestyle.”
About Shurooq:
The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) is the driving force behind the transformation of Sharjah into an investment, tourist and business destination. Shurooq also works dedicatedly to evaluate and follow-up on tourism, investment, and heritage-related infrastructure projects, as well as to contribute to the comprehensive development in the emirate. It provides facilities related to investment activity in collaboration with other bodies and organisations through the setting up of a comprehensive information centre that highlights investment opportunities in the emirate of Sharjah.