In a first, three Qatari women complete 90-km Qatar East-West Ultramarathon
For the first time, three Qatari women proudly completed the 90km Qatar East-West Ultramarathon recently.
While Noor Aljaber, a prominent Qatari entrepreneur and athlete, finished overall 34th, her compatriots Lolwa Al Marri and Ghalya Alharami finished in the 38th and 59th spots respectively.
Starting at the Sheraton Park, the event — organised by Qatar Ultrarunners and the Ministry of Sports and Youth — took competitors through a scenic route along Dukhan Beach.
“As I was running, I came across some women runners who were doing the 90km solo run. At that moment, the seed was planted. I hoped to one day do the full 90km solo run like them,” Noor Aljaber was quoted as saying by Gulf Times.
Aljaber, a member of the Qatar Cycling Federation’s women’s team and a certified spinning instructor, said she drew motivation from the camaraderie among participants during the race. Around 750 runners in teams and 150 solo competitors took part.
“I’m proud of all the ladies as they’ll be an inspiration for others who didn’t think or dare before. I believe whenever we’ve the opportunity to participate, we’ll show up and rise up to the challenge. The fact that more than one lady thought to take on the challenge is a message in itself. The passion, motivation, and endurance are all there,” said Aljaber.
Aljaber cited the mental challenges, particularly extreme wind, as her most difficult adversary.
“If I were to choose between mental or physical fatigue, I’d say it was more mentally difficult mostly because of the extreme wind, pushing against us the entire way. So there were multiple battles,” she said.
Her preparation for the event involved a rigorous three-month training plan which included cycling, strength training, and mobility exercises.
“Anything can be achieved with the right preparation and commitment to the goal. I trained six times a week, with at least one day off to give the body and mind time to reset, recharge, and recover.
“I was cycling two out of the six days, doing some strength training and dedicating time for mobility training and stretching. There’re many aspects to consider with the longer runs such as nutrition issues in order to balance energy and fluid levels,” she said.
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