Final countdown to IAU 50km Worlds begins

Runners from 20 countries have arrived in Doha to participate in the 2nd International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 50km World Championship that takes place in the Aspire Zone in Doha tomorrow evening. The opening ceremony of the IAU 50km World Championship will be held today at 6pm and feature a Parade of Nations involving the athletes taking part. This will be followed by opening remarks delivered by representatives of the IAU, Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) and Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF).The IAU accredited championship will feature world-leading ultrarunners from 20 countries competing in the men’s, women’s and group categories. This is the second time that AZF has organised and hosted the IAU 50km World Championship, following the enormous success of last year’s event.Participating countries include Argentina, Canada, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Chinese Taipei, Uruguay, United States of America, and Zimbabwe.The IAU’s commitment to host the international championship for three consecutive years in Qatar is testament to AZF’s organisational capabilities, world-class facilities and expertise.Aspetar will be holding a medical awareness symposium for all teams participating in the IAU 50km World Championship. During the symposium, a number of world-class nutrition, sports science and medical experts will share information and best practice for athletes, physicians, and coaches on injury prevention measures to follow during the competition.Taking place alongside the main IAU international races, AZF is organising the fourth edition of the Aspire International 6:50 Race. This unique event gives more than 200 running enthusiasts from the local community the opportunity to take part alongside IAU professional ultrarunners.Since its inception, AZF has been keen to engage the public in a range of sporting activities in support of its mission to promote physical activity amongst members of the local community. This year’s “Aspire International 6:50km Race” has prompted a huge response and attracted large numbers of registrations thanks to the success and popularity of last year’s event.More than 78 Qataris and expats will take part in the individual race category, which challenges runners to complete 50km in six hours. Five Qatari men’s teams and two Qatari women’s teams are amongst the 25 that have registered to take part in the team relay event. This year’s World Championship features a redesigned race course comprising tarmac, tile and paved roads. These will be closed to traffic and well lit for the duration of the evening race. The race course will be fast, with minimal gradient and wide turns. Building on the huge success of the Fan Zone during last year’s event, AZF will set up a ‘Fun Area’ offering entertainment, games and activities for all the members of the family, designed to instil passion and enthusiasm for sport in children at a young age.AZF has teamed up with the QAF as organising partner, the Movenpick Hotel Al Aziziyah as the hospitality partner, and social network Qatar Living as community partner for the event.