DOHA (Qatar): Mubarak Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi set-off from the Corniche (next to the Sheraton) on his attempt to set a Fastest Known Time (FKT) for the Run Around Qatar.
He is completing the run, which is approximately 500km with the aim of completing it in under 7 days, which the current record sits at.
The current record was set by Qatari resident and adventurer Pierre Daniel in February, 2018, who tackled the run in a self-supported manner.
Mubarak is aiming to cover over 80km a day in his record attempt, which he is doing in a supported manner with a support crew from his friends circle as he pushes himself to the limits of human endurance.
His team includes Adulaziz Alabdulla, Fahad Al Buenain, Fahad Al Hadfa, Faisal Al Zaman, Talal Al Emadi, Ali Al Mansouri, Rashid Al Hajri, Noel Cuaton and coach Ryan Sosna-Bowd.
If successful, this will be a further first for a Qatari sportsman who has been blazing the trail for Qatar in the trail running world.
“This challenge is the culmination of a journey that was inspired by trail blazing Qatari athletes, like Abdulla Al Hammadi who inspired me into sport and athletes like Pierre Daniel and so many more who opened my eyes to the possibilities within each of us,” said Mubarak.
Mubarak’s past feats include
- The first elected Qatari Runners Representative in the International Trail Running Association (“ITRA”)
- Successfully organising the first ultra-trail race in Qatar (THEEB 2019) and certified by ITRA
- The first Qatari to participate & finish numerous key global trail Races including;
- Trans Jeju 2017 – 50K, Mountain Range 50 2017
- Ultra-Trail®️ Serra Da Freita 2018
- UTMB®️ 2018 – OCC
- Tarawera 100 Mile Endurance Run 2019,
- UTMB®️ 2019 – CCC.
- The first Qatari to finish a 100 miles trail race
- Completing Ironman 70.3 Sri Lanka 2018
Daniel, the first and current record holder of the Round Qatar FTK said, “Its fantastic what Mubarak is attempting and has achieved for the Qatari trail running community.”
