FAQ
E-visa is now available for nationals of eligible countries on the following site: visitsaudi.com
For nationals of other countries, contact us for details on visa issuance for the race.
More information about VISA process here.
Yes, certainly. Saudi Arabia is a very safe country for lone travelers and has a very low crime rate.
The local currency is Saudi Riyals. There are ATMs in AlUla, but no currency exchange, so you should plan to exchange money in the Riyadh or Jeddah airports.
Winter is the best time to visit AlUla, with temperatures ranging from 10-25 degrees Celsius (45-70 degrees Fahrenheit). It does get colder at night, so it is important to pack some warm clothing. Mid-March is the end of the winter season, so it could potentially get already warmer around noon. Be aware that rainfall is rare but cannot be excluded
Your finisher certificate will be available on the results page of our website a few days after the race.
Yes. Professional photographers will cover the general event and many photos will be posted online after the event.
No.Verbal support is permitted only at designated points (Locations of these will be confirmed shortly) but the EcoTrail® AlUla rules requires runners to be semi-autonomous during the race.
Assistance is only allowed at designated Aid Stations.
No external assistance at any point on the course or at aid stations with food, drink, gear, pacing, etc is permitted. Penalties will be imposed for breaches of these rules in order to have a fair competition for all.
No.
You can transfer your bib to another competitor up until February 18th only.
After this date no name transfers are permitted.
Go to the "accommodation" section on the website to find our advice
It is possible to change to a shorter race distance up until 15th of February as long as the shorter race you wish to join is not sold out. Please note you will not be refunded the difference in price if you avail of this option.
No. You must stop, follow the instructions of the event staff and wait for the ‘DNF bus’ to pick you up
For the 80km:
• Head lamp + spare battery
• Hydration Bag / Belt including bottles with at least 1 liter of water/fluid
• Snack / Energy Gels / Energy or cereal bar (at least 2 of these 3)
• Smartphone with local SIM card (recommended local provider: STC)
• GPX file of race route downloaded on your personal smartphone
• Waste Bag
• Personal water cup (we will not provide cups at Aid Stations (AS) in the principle of protecting the environment and to have NO garbage in the trail)
• Rain jacket (not often, but it can actually rain hard in Al Ula this time of year!)
• Emergency blanket
• Athletes are required to wear long tights/running pants
Recommended extras: first aid kit
For the 50 km
• Hydration Bag / Belt including bottles with at least 1 liter of water/fluid
• Snack/ Energy Gels / Energy or cereal bar (at least 2 of these 3)
• Smartphone with local SIM card (recommended local provider: STC)
• GPX file of race route downloaded on your personal smartphone
• Waste Bag
• Personal water cup (we will not provide cups at Aid Stations (AS) in the principle of protecting the environment and to have NO garbage in the trail)
• Rain jacket (not often, but it can actually rain hard in Al Ula this time of year!)
• Emergency blanket
• Athletes are required to wear long tights/running pants
Recommended extras: first aid kit
For the 25km
• Hydration Bag / Belt including bottles with at least 1 liter of water/fluid
• Snack / Energy Gels / Energy or cereal bar (at least 1 item)
• Smartphone with local SIM card (recommended local provider: STC)
• GPX file of race route downloaded on your personal smartphone
• Waste Bag
• Personal water cup (we will not provide cups at Aid Stations (AS) in the principle of protecting the environment and to have NO garbage in the trail)
• Rain jacket (not often, but it can actually rain hard in Al Ula this time of year!)
• Emergency blanket
• Athletes are required to wear long tights/running pants
Recommended extras: first aid kit
For the 10km
• Mandatory: Female athletes are required to wear long tights/running pants
• Recommended: small running pouch containing mobile phone with a working local SIM card (STC is recommended provider), waste bag and personal water cup (we will not provide cups at Aid station in the principle of protecting the environment and to have NO garbage in the trail)
Sunset Run
• Mandatory: Female athletes are required to wear long tights/running pants
• Recommended: small running pouch containing mobile phone with a working local SIM card (STC is recommended provider), waste bag and personal water cup (we will not provide cups at Aid station in the principle of protecting the environment and to have NO garbage in the trail)
• Recommended for less speedy runners: headlamp
Participants of all race categories can benefit from a drop-bag/clothes deposit service. At the latest 15 minutes before the start, runners bring their drop bag at the designated tent at the start venue of their race.
The race courses will be marked by flags, tape, and biodegradable spray paint.
We will use colors to distinguish between the three race distances:
· Trail 83km Blood red
· Trail 45km Orange
· Trail 25km purple
· Trail 10km turquoise
· Hike 10km Brown
· Kids race yellow
As a general rule the course will be marked at every junction or other area where you could be in doubt where to go.
Navigational skills are not necessary but it is vital that you remain aware of the need to follow the route marking and not assume that everyone that is ahead of you has done so.
If you reach a junction that has no race marking (e.g. because it was bumped down by camels, or by strong gale winds) then you should retrace your steps until you find a junction with route marking and follow route from there
Remember to download the GPX files on your personal device (mandatory item for 80k, 50k and 25k participants!). In the unlikely event you feel lost on the course, you can use the GPX to pinpoint your location and get back on track
Whilst we will have some marshals out on the course at critical points like road crossings points, most trail junction will not be marshaled so you are responsible for following the marked route.
The Aid Station will be located approx each 10km for the 80km, 50km and the 25km. For the 10km trail, Sunset Run and hike you will find aid stations every 5km.
In the aid station you will find:
· Water
· Isotonic drink /energy
· Pepsi /Miranda / Seven Up (at LAST aid station before finish)
· Fruit (water melon, orange, sugar melon, banana)
· Nuts: salted cashew nuts, salted almonds
· Cookie or cake
· Arabic bread + Peach jam/Kiri cheese at 2 Aid stations for 80K and 1 Aid station for 50K
· Hot Tea at 1st Aid station of 80K
· Local culture: dates/ tahini + Arabic coffee
Cut Offs for 80km Trail: 12h30 hours
Cut Offs for 50km Trail: 8h30 hours
Cut Offs for 25km Trail: 4 hours
Cut Offs for 10km Trail: 1h30 hours
Cut Offs for 10km Hike: 2h30 hours
Cut Offs for Sunset Run: 1h30 hours
We do not have any mandatory qualifying event for the 80km course.
However, we strongly recommend that you should have successfully completed at least one 50+km off road running event in preparation for this significantly challenging event. Please also be aware that this is a desert race, with long runable sections, which is reflected in the cut-off times. This is not a high mountain trail.
Trail shoes are strongly recommended for all distances above 10 km in the EcoTrail AlUla event.
Regular road running shoes are not suitable for the mix of trail surfaces that are included in the long race categories, including significant sections of gravel, rocks, roots, sand and possibly mud in case of rainfall. For 10k participants, regular running shoes will be fine in dry conditions
No.
No. All bibs must be collected in person either the day before the race
No - All participants must collect their own race bib and timing chip in person and must provide proof of identity (copy or original)
Deferment of your entry to another Eco Trail event is not possible.
No. Once our maximum entry limits are reached and registration has closed, it is no longer possible to get a bib as maximum capacity has been reached.
We do not intend having a waiting list, even in case of cancellation of some other person's entry.
You can check your registration application at any time with the registration number indicated in the confirmation e-mail you received.
If you cannot find a confirmation mail please check all your e-mail folders
If you are sure you have entered and paid then drop a mail here with all details you know of your entry including distance, date entered, etc and we will investigate.