Morocco’s Ahansal crested in international Silk Road Ultra Marathon
Globally-renowned Moroccan runner Mohamad Ahansal has added another victory to his name as he outwitted opponents vying for the top honor at Silk Road Ultra Marathon in Iran, and won the title at the end of the international sporting event.
On Sunday, the 43-year-old ultra runner sprinted across the finish line after running a distance of 250 kilometers (155 miles) along vast salt Loot Desert in Iran’s southeastern province of Kerman.
He was followed by Italian contestants Alberto Tagliabue and Nicola Ciani, who were the second and third finishers respectively.
A total of 35 male participants from 10 different countries, namely Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco, the Philippines and the United States, were in attendance besides dozens of Iranian runners.
Silk Road Ultra Marathon kicked off in Loot Desert, Iran, on May 2 and ran through May 8, 2016.
Mohamad Ahansal, born to a nomadic family near Zagora in the Sahara desert, has won the Marathon des Sables four times. The competition has been described as the toughest footrace on earth.
Ahansal won his first Marathon des Sables title in 1998, when he ran a distance of 220 kilometers (136 miles) in 16 hours, 22 minutes and 29 seconds. His performance is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest cross through the desert.
Ultra marathon is any foot race longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometers (26.219 miles).
Runner would either need to cover a specified distance to emerge triumphant or specified time with the winner covering the most distance during that period.
The most common distances are 50 kilometers (31.069 miles), 100 kilometers (62.137 miles), 50 miles (80.4672 km), and 100 miles (160.9344 km), although many races have other distances.
The 100-kilometer race is recognized as an official world record event by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
The International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) organizes the World Championships for the sport.
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