“It was extremely scary”: Ultramarathoner from the United Arab Emirates becomes the first Arab to conquer the coldest race in the Arctic – News

In a rare achievement, an Emirati ultrarunner has become the first person in the Arab world to take top honors in the 120-mile Arctic Ultra 6633, hailed as the “toughest, windiest and coldest ultrarunning race in the world”.

Experienced athlete Ahmed Husain Al Katheeri endured temperatures as low as -43 degrees, lack of sleep and hallucinations to finish third in the Yukon edition in frozen Canada, one of the most brutal races in Arctic conditions held last week of February.

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No stranger to challenges, the 46-year-old Abu Dhabi resident has participated in up to 10 ultramarathons covering a distance of approximately 250 kilometers through diverse landscapes and temperatures ranging from -53 to +45 degrees Celsius.

Al Katheeri was hooked on the Arctic Ultra from the day he learned about this intimidating and physically demanding race. He knew it was not for the faint-hearted and was determined to raise the UAE flag there.

“I found out about this race from other runners. It is known in the ultramarathon world as the most difficult ultramarathon to complete,” Al Katheeri said. Khaleej Times.

The 6633 Arctic Ultra is open only to elite athletes with a proven track record. Al Katheeri gained eligibility as one of 16 athletes following his heroics at the ‘Cold Pole Oymyakon’ in Serbia, the coldest marathon in the world in 2022, when he finished second in his age category.

“It was -53 degrees for the 42km race,” he said.

Training began in 2023.

Arctic Ultra, a distance of more than 190 km, presented a new frontier for Al Katheeri. The long distance was a test of his perseverance. Last year, together with his coach Niall McCarthy, he drew up a roadmap to ensure the desired results.

“We used a reverse engineering method to decide the fitness we needed to get to the finish line at 6633 and got my fitness level back on the first day of training. “I completed the Grand to Grand Ultra Marathon in the US in September as it was a good opportunity to test my mental capacity along with hiking on sand, which can be similar to snow.”

Al Katheeri underwent a Vo2 max test, a maximal exercise on a treadmill to measure overall fitness and cardiovascular levels.

“I was able to see what heart rate I needed to maintain for the 6633 and what my caloric output was at that given heart rate. In addition to fitness and mental strength, you need energy in your body to complete it.”

Al Katheeri spent long hours walking in Al Wathba, getting used to running his sled and fine-tuning his body.

“In the gym we incorporate fitness work like StairMaster, box step-ups, lunges and lower body strength work with some treadmills and ellipticals. “We worked on my core and upper body strength to make sure I was strong enough to carry the sled.”

To acclimatize to the conditions, he joined a training camp in the Russian city of Ufa.

“I trained at -38 degrees. “It allowed me to test my equipment and make changes for the 6633.”

Last month, Al Katheeri set off for his career taking three flights from Abu Dhabi to Toronto, then to Vancouver and finally to Whitehorse City, the capital of Yukon in northern Canada. The rest of the route was done by road.

“I was tired after the long flights. He was stressful with two unplanned nights in Vancouver. But the trip was a huge revelation. “Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine how cold but beautiful it could be.”

A bad decision can be fatal

As the race began, Al Katheeri realized why it was considered one of the toughest.

“It was unimaginably cold. Everything was frozen. If you poured boiling water over it, it would turn into ice in seconds. “It was very scary to think that everything around me was frozen and that a bad decision would be the end of my life.”

Although he carried a sleeping bag, there was no warm place to find time to relax at night during the race that lasted almost four days. Al Katheeri faced those challenges with a smile.

“For three days, I only slept 15 minutes. It was too cold and it was safer to keep moving. “I was hallucinating and seeing people, objects and animals that weren’t there, and this sometimes scared me, but I had to keep reminding myself of the reasons why I was doing this.”

Al Katheeri is not only an ultramarathon runner but also an ambassador for the Hayat Organ Donation Programme.

“As an ultramarathon runner, I am passionate about inspiring the younger generation of Arab ultrarunners and raising awareness about organ donation and transplantation as I am one of their ambassadors. I always remind myself that I am paving a way for Arabs to turn challenges into opportunities. Becoming the first Arab to complete this extremely challenging race motivated me, as there were times when the extreme weather put my survival in doubt.”

Returning to Abu Dhabi earlier this month, Al Katheeri is still recovering from the physical torture his body endured. “Even after two weeks, I still suffer from frostbite on my toes. But it was worth it.”

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