The Qatar-hatched endurance race will have international participants for the first time.
Registration for the first-ever international edition of Samla is now open, the country’s tourism promotion wing, Visit Qatar, announced on Sunday.
The race is set to be hosted on January 24 next year with four disciplines covering a distance of over 100 kilometres across Qatar.
The “uniquely challenging test of strength and stamina” will consist of a 3-kilometre open-water swim, a 49-kilometre run, a 44-kilometre mountain biking trail, and a 4-kilometre kayaking course, its organisers said in a statement.
“In partnership with Visit Qatar, the Samla Race is expanding to the global stage, inviting elite male and female athletes from around the world to compete in a uniquely challenging test of strength and stamina across Qatar’s diverse landscapes,” the statement added.
Registration will be open until August 9, yet it will not guarantee participation due to limited spots. Only the ones confirmed will be able to participate in the four-course race.
A prize pool of approximately $300,000, about QAR 1.1 million, will be awarded to top finishers in both male and female categories.
Samla’s Organising Committee CEO Azzam Al-Mannai had exclusively told Doha News that discussions were underway to take the local tournament — then open only to Qatari male citizens — international in December 2024. The move was made official in April earlier this year.
“It [Samla] has evolved into a resolute platform that has nurtured a local base of athletes in endurance racing,” Al Mannai said in April. “Now, Samla will constitute a pillar of development in Qatar.”
He had also confirmed to Doha News about the possibilities of Samla having two events, with the local-only race likely to continue alongside the new international race.
First held in 2017, Samla is a local take on endurance racing, incorporating local Qatari desert elements.
“Back in 2016 when we started the project, the idea was to create a healthy community in the sports sector, especially as endurance was still not developed around that time,” Al Mannai told Doha News in December.
Now, the decision to open it to international participation has seen the event get included in Visit Qatar’s event-studded calendar, which also has the likes of MotoGP Grand Prix of Qatar, F1 Qatar Grand Prix, the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the FIFA Arab Cup, among other famed sporting and cultural events.
“As the race welcomes global competitors for the first time, it not only showcases the nation’s distinctive landscape but also reflects Visit Qatar’s ongoing commitment to advancing sports tourism and delivering exceptional, world-class experiences for athletes and fans from around the globe,” the tourism promotion wing said in a statement.
Athletes can register through the official race website, which also consists of a detailed race guide, safety requirements, and all relevant rules and regulations.
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