Oman Desert Marathon will take you to the most beautiful spots of the Oman Desert and you will discover how the desert is not an arid place, but is full of life. You need only to know where to look. In Oman every plant, dune and mountain has a long story to tell, and crossing this land is like a full immersion in history.
The Sultanate of Oman enjoys the floristic influence of two continents: Africa and Asia. The close proximity of Africa to Arabia and Southwest Asia means that much of the flora of southern Oman is African in origin and several floral groups in northern Oman have their origins in Iran and southwest Pakistan. Separated by some 500 kilometers of desert (the central desert of Oman) many species have remained distinct by this ecological and climatic barrier, and give the country its unique floristic identity.
Running the Oman Desert Marathon you will see this tree and flower very often, the ”Calotropis Procera” known also as “Apple of Sodom” or “Kings Crown”. The green globes are hollow but the flesh contains a toxic milky sap that is extremely bitter and turns into a gluey coating resistant to soap. So dont drink it! Just admire this plant but dont touch the milk.
The fruit is described by the Roman Jewish historian Josephus, who saw it growing near Sodom: “…as well as the ashes growing in their fruits; which fruits have a color as if they were fit to be eaten, but if you pluck them with your hands, they dissolve into smoke and ashes.” (Whiston 1737: Book IV chapter 8 section 4)[4]
We find many references of this plant in the Bible, as a plant used to poison, but also for its fiber, that have been used for the linen of the high priests.
We will welcome you to participate to the 3rd Oman Desert Marathon, 165 kilometers in 6 self-sufficient stages to discover the Oasis and the highest dunes of the Oman Desert on the tracks of the ancient caravans. You will enjoy the beauty of the desert and it incredible vitality and beauties. Dont miss it, form November 6th to 15th, 2015. Subscribe now, before the end of May 2015 at the promotional rate of Euro 1,100.