Obstacle events well and truly made their mark in the UAE in 2014 (thanks to the likes of Wadi Adventure Race, Desert Warrior Challenge and the Men’s Health Urbanathlon), and this year it looks as they’ll be more popular than ever.

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The next highly anticipated obstacle race to hit the UAE is the Reebok Spartan Race: a 5km event that challenges participants to conquer obstacles through thick dunes of mud and sand, in a yet-to-be-revealed Dubai location on 20 February.

Spartan Race is already a popular series around the world, with over 60 held all over the globe last year, and now the UAE will get a taste of the race that challenges entrants to “discover their inner warrior”.

Participants can expect mud pools, rope climbs, barbed wire trenches and a ‘slippery wall’ included along the course.

To make the ‘battlefield’ even more challenging, Spartans who don’t complete an obstacle will be directed to a ‘burpee station’ – located next to each obstacle – where they must endure 30 burpees before being allowed to continue.

Plenty of family-friendly games, such as a mud pit tug-of-war and arm-wrestling competitions, will also be taking place alongside the race.