Competitors from all corners of the globe, including the Middle East, Europe, Africa and the Americas will be travelling to Sharjah’s Mleiha Archaeological and Eco-tourism Project on Friday to take part in one of the world’s toughest endurance races.

More than two and a half thousand participants, ranging from children to beginners to seasoned professionals will take part in the Spartan Race, which has become an ideal family occasion for some and a Herculean task for others.

The event includes the ‘Spartan Junior’ for younger runners, which will have more than 150 participants, the ‘Spartan Sprint’ for keen amateurs, which has the largest number of competitors at more than 1,400 and the ‘Spartan Beast’, which includes over 850 athletes and is being held for the first time in the Middle East.

Each category has a different level of difficulty depending on the length of the track and the number of obstacles. the Spartan Beast includes a 20 kilometre course in the Mleiha area with more than 30 obstacles, which include climbing, running though water pools and mud, crawling under barbed wire and jumping over fire.

The Spartan Sprint, featuring a 5 kilometre course with 20 obstacles that include running, crawling and jumping is designed for athletes of all abilities.

The ‘Spartan Junior’ is designed for children aged 4-14 years old. It features a 1,5 kilometre course that encourages kids to run wild, jump, pass through mud pools and help each other as a team get to the finish.

“We have made every effort to make sure preparations are perfect for the Spartan Race in Mleiha and are thrilled to be able launch this wonderful event today. A competition of this size requires months of meticulous organising and planning and the results are a testament to that work,” said Mahmoud Rashid Al Suwaidi, Mleiha Archaeological and Eco-tourism Manager.

“We have provided free transport to take participants from Dubai and Sharjah to the race location and parking lots are also available. We look forward to a highly successful event, and we wish all participants good luck.”

On the side-lines of the big event, visitors can enjoy snacks and drinks, sponsors’ stalls, activities stands, face painting and much more to keep the youngsters happy. By the end of the day, the winners in all categories will be honoured and photographed to capture the moment they became ‘Spartans’.