A Dubai-based Ultra Runner is set to celebrate the UAE National Day weekend in his own unique way – running a staggering 140km on his own.

Nicola De Corato will begin his gruelling challenge on Saturday as celebrations begin on the nation’s long weekend. De Corato is no stranger to Ultra Running having completed a 100km solo run back in 2015 along a route from the Meydan Hotel leading to Bab Al Shams Desert Resort. The Italian, a former black belt in kickboxing and Muay Thai, has also competed as a triathlete, dive master and rescue swimmer.

De Corato’s run will begin at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort around midday and finish at the UAE flag positioned by Union House in Jumeirah. Speaking to Sport360 ahead of the run he said, “People say I’m crazy, and maybe I am, but it’s my way to celebrate what a great country we live in. I like associating the place with sport and not just the skyscrapers most people see. I am deliberately passing through the natural landscapes then along to the modern city,” he said.

“I am an extreme runner so I’ve done a few of these types of events, I am always training for the last three years. In the last few months I have been focused on this challenge, you have to consider the balanced diet and also your sleep pattern. I think the run will take at least 24 hours and so I have been training myself to stay awake. Running a distance like this is more of a mental game than physical. When you train for such a long distance I have reached only 70km so I am not exhausted by the time the actual run comes around. I think after this event I’ll be recovering for about two months to let my body heal, but it’s something I can’t wait to complete.”