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Event Weekend Now Coincides with the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the UAE National Day
BOSTON, Oct. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Spartan World Championship that was to be held 4-5 December has been postponed until next year, organizers announced. Spartan, the world's leading endurance sports and extreme wellness brand, announced the postponement due to the international travel restrictions amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Spartan World Championship hosted by Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) will now take place 3-4 December 2021.
The championship weekend features the Elite Spartan World Championship, the Spartan Team World Championship and the Spartan Kids World Championship.
It also marks the first time the event will be staged outside the United States. The new date also coincides with the Golden Jubilee celebration of the UAE National Day.
"It is with the utmost regret that Spartan, alongside the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, has made the decision to postpone this year's World Championship event scheduled in the epic location," said Spartan's Founder and CEO Joe De Sena. "Our athletes have trained hard to qualify and prepare for the weekend's events and due to global travel restrictions and safety concerns, we made the call to ensure our racers from across the world can participate.
It's also exciting that the event will now take place during the UAE's Golden Jubilee celebration, making an even more incredible experience for our athletes. We are grateful for the continued support of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and the Council's General Secretary, Mr. Aref Hamad Al Awani.
Following the same format as the originally scheduled event weekend, the 2021 Spartan World Championship hosted by ADSC will see the best obstacle course racers in the world descend on a remarkable desert course outside of Abu Dhabi, in Liwa."
The main event, taking place Friday, December 3, is the half-marathon "Spartan Beast," which features a mix of high-speed running, leg-burning steep climbs and breath-taking sceneries with more than 30 signature Spartan obstacles including the Spear Throw, Barbed Wire Crawl, Helix and Rope Climb.
Off the course, attendees can experience a one-of-a-kind weekend full of incredible experiences infused with local Emirati culture, including the biggest festival Spartan has ever created. This epic event will include desert and city activities featuring traditional Emirati food, cultural shows, extreme dune rides, yoga classes, a Parade of Nations, closing fireworks and much, much more.
His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports Council, emphasised the health and safety protocols under prevailing global pandemic as paramount for the welfare of the participants, officials and all those involved in the event.
"Like all athletes who were preparing for this competition, we too are now eagerly looking forward for this world championship to take place on the new date in one of the most beautiful desert regions in the UAE, if not in the region," he said.
"The postponement also means the championship coincides with the UAE's 50th National Day celebrations.
Obviously the entire country will be celebrating with a lot of festivities and the Spartan World Championship certainly will be a big part of it the with organizers, partners and participants, as well as ensure everyone that this championship will be one to remember."
Preceding the marquee event on Friday is the rescheduled third annual Spartan Kids World Championship, a gated event, open to children from age 10 to 14, who have placed top three in their age and gender group at Spartan Kids races around the world.
In addition, the weekend includes the Team World Championship, an event first introduced in 2017.
The race weekend also offers opportunities for non-qualified athletes to hit the racecourse. Saturday morning and afternoon will kick off with Open Beast heats, as well as Open heat Kids races of varying distances. 10 competitive age group heats will take place Saturday morning.
"With some of our live events taking place in Europe and Asia, we're seeing the Spartan Community's eagerness to get back on the course, and we cannot wait to return in 2021 with our biggest World Championship ever," De Sena said.
Athletes who have already registered for the 2020 event will be automatically deferred to the 2021 event, and all others can register and learn more at Spartan.com.
To prepare for the 2021 race season, Spartans around the world can train and race virtually through a series of UNBREAKABLE programs including live and on-demand at-home workouts, the Spartan Fit training app and a series of virtual races that have attracted more than 100,000 participants to date.
About Spartan
Spartan is a global experiential sport and wellness brand with a 10 million+ strong community. We create transformational experiences, products, and content to help people, companies and teams tear down boundaries and expand what they believe to be possible. Spartan combines large scale global events with a vibrant digital Content and Community Platform. With more than 250 events across more than 40 countries on six continents, Spartan is the world's leading extreme wellness and endurance brand. Visit spartan.com for more information and registration.
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