ALULA: This week, amid the ancient rock formations and AlUla’s iconic landscapes will be a sight to behold: 18 elite international runners—and local athletes from the region—will be running across AlUla for the second annual Desert Blaze, which will take place on Aug. 24. The 2024 Desert Blaze experience will take runners through AlUla; starting and ending at Hegra—the Kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site—offering runners a unique opportunity to journey through the footsteps of history, while being part of history.
And those running the second half of the 42km marathon will go through the Ashar Valley and will journey through Maraya, the world’s largest mirrored building, a perhaps philosophical reflection on their endurance and dedication to the sport. The combination of AlUla’s rugged natural beauty and the intense landscape—and smoldering heat—will create a challenging race that will be truly formidable, testing even the most seasoned of athletes. Arab News spoke to Rami Almoallim, vice president of destination management and marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) ahead of the race for some insights on what to expect this time around.
“This event is not just a race, it’s a unique and transformative experience, providing a new performance milestone for athletes and offering a unique perspective on AlUla’s rich visitor offerings,” Almoallim told us. Last year’s very first Desert Blaze race was one for the books. “The inaugural.