The 2018 XDubai Spartan Women’s Race  – supported by the Dubai Sports Council – will take place on Saturday, October 27, at Jebel Ali Racecourse, it has been confirmed.

Open to women aged 15 and above, the 2018 event builds on the region’s first Spartan Race which took place in Dubai in December 2017. This year’s edition will include two new race lengths, as well as a Spartan Kids’ Race.

With approximately 2000 women expected, the XDubai Spartan Women’s Race will feature a 5+km Sprint that packs more than 20 signature Spartan obstacles, and a 13+km Super with over 25 signature Spartan obstacles as well as a tougher and more rugged terrain.

Both Sprint and Super lengths will also feature Elite and age group category options for those wanting to test their mettle against fellow competitive athletes, while giving the top Elite racers a chance at glory and cash prizes. Distances for the Spartan Kids’ Race, which is open to both girls and boys, range from 800m for kids aged 4-6 years to 1.6km for kids aged 7-9 years to 3.2km for those aged 10-14 years.

H.E. Saeed Hareb, the secretary general of Dubai Sports Council said: “The Dubai Sports Council is always keen to organise events for women throughout the year and in different sports, and we are working to provide all the means of success for all those wishing to cooperate with the Council to organize women’s sports competitions, and thereby help achieve our leader’s vision of making sport part of the community’s daily lifestyle.

“The woman is the mother, sister, wife and daughter. She is the partner in building the family and building the community. Therefore, we encourage women to exercise and adopt physical activity as a source of happiness and positive energy.

The event will be held during the 2018 Dubai Fitness Challenge and also takes place during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Spartan Arabia has pledged to donate a percentage of the proceeds from the event to the Al Jalila Foundation in partnership with Brest Friends. Funds donated will be used to support breast cancer patients and fund ongoing research.

Although the Sprint and Super races are exclusively open for female participants, but the fun and interactive festival area will be open to both women and men to cheer on their mothers, wives, friends and colleagues who will be competing in the race.

Hareb added: “The second edition of this event confirms the success of our approach to organize such events, that have begun to spread widely in the country in general, and in Dubai in particular, because of the many benefits to participants.

“The increase in the number of participants in the second edition of the event confirms the acceptance of our message to all the women and girls in our society about the importance of sport in daily life, and that our girls are able to meet the physical challenges in this type of sport.”

Close to 2000 women expected for the region’s second women-only Spartan Race.

Speaking about the return of the XDubai Spartan Women’s Race, Mohammed Javad, General Manager of XDubai said: “Last year was a monumental year for the XDubai Spartan Race with a series of firsts including the first women’s Spartan Race to be held in the Middle East and Africa region.

“The feedback from women who participated in that race- many participating in a Spartan Race for the first time- was nothing short of incredible. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jebel Ali Race Course for their continued support and hosting the event at their unique venue.

“This year, we listened to our fans, athletes and Spartans across the UAE and will be hosting our second XDubai Spartan Women’s Race, during the second annual Dubai Fitness Challenge with a new Super race length.  2018 has been an exciting year for women in the region so far and as a brand that inspires people to defy their limits, we’re looking forward to what promises to be a very inspiring event.”