Rules

RULES

Art. 1: ORGANISATION
The desert marathon in the Sultanate of Oman is organized by “OMANIA ADVENTURE COMPANY LLC”, an integrated Omani company working in the field of adventure and organizing sporting events. The race will take place from 18th January until 22nd January 2025 in Al Sharqiyah Region in Wilayat Bidiyah , south-east of the Sultanate of Oman.

Art. 2: DEFINITION OF THE EVENT
The Oman desert marathon is a self-sufficient race of 165 Km (5 stages) in which the runners must carry their equipment, a sleeping bag and food during their adventure. The organization will provide tents, and the competitor must bring his / her own sleeping bag and pad.

Art. 3: CONDITIONS OF RACE ADMISSION
Any person of any nationality aged over 18 at the start of the race who accepts the race rules and has provided a medical certificate attesting to their ability to participate in a race of this type as well as an ECG print-out dated less than 30 days prior to the race is eligible to enter. It needs to be sent by e-mail to registrations@marathonoman.com

Art. 4: KIT AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHECKS

A kit and medical certificate inspection will take place the day before the race starts at the race camp at the time shown in the program. Participants must present themselves to the race administrators. Participants must meet all the administrative and technical requirements. Any participant not meeting all required conditions may be eliminated from the race without any refund.

Art. 5: HALTING THE RACE and WITHDRAWALS

If the organizing committee considers it necessary for security and/or adverse weather conditions to stop the race, it will do so without prior notice.

In the event that a competitor wishes to withdraw from the race, he must inform the organizers and give bib number back.

Art. 6: COURSE NAVIGATION
All participants must follow the route as marked out by the organizers, passing at a maximum distance of 5 meters from the flags. Failing to do so may incur penalties of varying severity depending on the particular stage. The course will be marked approximately every 500 meters. The organizers will ensure that marking will always be visible. There are several natural landmarks that will serve as additional points of reference. The organization will provide a daily briefing outlining the route conditions stage by stage and there will be constant monitoring of all the runners during all the race from fixed vantage points, in order to ensure that nobody gets lost. In the event of sandstorms, the necessary advice and guidance will be provided.

Art. 7: CHECKPOINTS
Checkpoints will be placed at approximately 10 km intervals. These are mandatory passages where each runner’s arrival will be recorded. Medical support will be present at every checkpoint in case advice or treatment is required. The medical team may withdraw a competitor if his condition presents a serious risk to his health and safety.

Art. 8: WATER SUPPLY
Bottled mineral water will be provided at each checkpoint, approximately every 10 km and at the base camp.

Art. 9: RANKING
Each competitor’s time is indicated in hours, minutes and seconds.

Category A: Individual ranking;
The daily race ranking is calculated by adding the time taken to run that stage of the race minus penalties, if applicable. The overall ranking is calculated by adding together times for each stage of the race.
Category B: Team ranking
For teams, the daily race ranking is calculated by adding the times for each member of the team, minus penalties, if applicable. The average of the team’s times will give the ranking of that team. The Overall ranking is calculated by adding the times obtained by the team at each stage. Teams who have at least 2 runners completing the race will be included in the team rankings. Teams have a minimum of 2 members and a maximum of 4.
Category A+B: General Ranking
The daily general race ranking is calculated by adding the time taken to run that stage of the race minus penalties, if applicable, of all runners of category A and B. The overall ranking is calculated by adding together times for each stage of the race.

Art. 10: MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
The medical team has been carefully selected, with specialists in sports medicine who will be on hand throughout the race on the vehicles designated for medical assistance. They will be positioned daily at checkpoints and at the finish line. They will ensure that any participant suffering from physical or mental exhaustion be brought back to the base camp for treatment and rest or, if necessary, transferred to a government hospital by ambulance. The medical team is allowed to disqualify any participant they feel physically unfit to continue the race or for receiving vital medical care.

Art. 11 : INSURANCE
Each competitor must arrange Assistance and Repatriation insurance. The certificate of this insurance must be presented to the administrators before the start of the race. All competitors take part in the full knowledge of the risks that may be encountered during this type of competition. Since competitors participate of their own free will, the organizer is obliged to insist that participants take out their own accident and death insurance.

Art.12 :COMPULSORY EQUIPMENTS FOR PARTICIPANTS

FOOD
Each competitor must have enough food for 5 days, with a minimum of 2000 calories per day or 10.000 calories in total.

SURVIVAL GEAR

Sand Gaiters
Backpack
Sleeping bag
Anti-venom pump
Metal Knife
Antiseptic
Signaling mirror
Salt tablets or equivalent
Whistle
Space blanket
1 fully charged headlamp with spare batteries
First aid kit with plasters, bandage, scissors, ointment
Euro 200 in cash (100 OMR)

Art. 13: WEATHER CONDITIONS

The average temperatures at that time of the year are

• 13° Celsius at night
•  30° Celsius during the day

But please note that midday temperatures can rise as high as 40 o C at times

Art. 14: REGISTRATION

The race fee is $ as shown on registration link  non-refundable deposit at the enrollment, it can be paid as follows:

The race fee is a non-refundable deposit at the enrollment, it can be paid as follows:

– full fee From August

– early bird from registration opening till July 31st

– discount for previous participants

10% discount for groups of ten or more

*Discount may not be combined

Includes :

• Accommodation in Green Homes and Al Jawharat Resort before and after the race.
• Lunch, dinners and breakfast before to the race.
• Lunch, dinners and breakfast after the race.
• Bus transfers:

– from airport to Bidiyah (Desert)

– from Bidiyah to Airport or  to traditional Arab Market (Mattrah Souq) or Sultan Qaboos Mosque and then airport.

• Accommodation during the race.
• Bottled Mineral water.
• Technical and medical support.
• Race medal & T-shirt.
• Link to Low Resolution Pictures

Note: excluding air transport

 ADMINISTRATIVE FILE 

The following compulsory documents must be submitted before 19th December 2024. 

All the registrations have to be taken using the link in our website or as directed by project manager.

The runner’s profile must be upload 30 days from start of the race, with the following information:

1 – Medical Certificate  or ask representative of your country if any

2 – Electrocardiogram (please check the rules it needs to be not older than 30 days)

3 – Image of you valid Passport

4 – Certificate of Assistance and Repatriation insurance

5 – Dates and Times of  arrival and departure times

The organization will provide a folder where you can upload the documents or you can provide it to ODM representative in your country.

Since the total number of participants is limited, the organization will accept entries in line with available places and will enroll only those whose administrative dossiers are complete.

MEDICAL FILE
To participate in the Oman Desert Marathon, a medical file ins also required which contains the following:
• A standard medical certificate can be downloaded FROM THIS LINK . It must be signed by a GP confirming that you are cleared to take part in this event. The doctor must be made aware of the distance you will be covering, the average temperatures during the day and that you will be carrying a 10 – 15 kg ruck-sack during the race. It needs to be sent by e-mail to registrations@marathonoman.com

• An ECG must be carried out less than 30 days prior to the race start. The original document, dated and signed, must be presented during the administrative and technical checks the day before the race starts and must be considered valid and accepted by the organization (green light) It needs to be sent to registrations@marathonoman.com
• If either of these documents is not provided, the competitor may be withdrawn from the race and will forfeit the entire race fee.
  

Art. 15: CANCELLATION
Cancellations, requests for refunds and withdrawal from the race must be made in writing in order to avoid any misunderstandings. If notice of cancellation is received 60 days or more before the event, you will receive a refund of the total fees you have paid minus the bank fees. Any withdrawal after midnight on November 21st will not be considered and the payment will not be refunded. We suggest all competitors take out insurance covering cancellation.

Art. 16 : PHOTO AND VIDEO COVERAGE
The organizers reserve all exclusive rights to the images while covering the Oman Desert Marathon. Participants must be aware that the organizers have the exclusive right to use individual or group photos or any image directly or indirectly related to the race, and it is prohibited to use any video or photographic camera to cover the race by the participants, their family or the coaches without the prior permission of the organizing committee. Runners should not publish any book or photos about the marathon without obtaining official permission from the organizers.

Art.17: SPACE RESERVED FOR INDIVIDUAL SPONSORS
Race numbers must be placed as instructed by the organizers. The names and logos of the official sponsors must not be hidden. Participants may use other available clothing space for individual sponsors (apart from areas exclusively reserved for race number) e.g. T-shirts, shorts, socks, caps, backpacks, etc. However, the organization reserves the right to prohibit sponsorship considered to be oversized or in direct competition with the organization’s partners or for any other reasons and which the organization does not have to justify.

Art. 18: LIST OF PRIZES

 165 Km ODM Classic

Male 

Female

Teams 

 Omanis

General

100 Km ODM Hike

Male 

Female

Art. 19: TAMKEEN SPORT & COMMUNICATION
The race organizer reserves the right to modify the race schedule and/or race course due to events outside their control or for safety reasons. The race organizer may modify the race rules if necessary, in which case the competitors will be expected to accept them.

Art. 20: PENALITES

1. No medical certificate presented at the medical control: Participation in the ODM will be refused.
2. No identity card at the administrative control: penalty of 30 minutes. The participant must, however, be able to justify his/her identity before the start of the event, and this at the discretion of the organizer.
3. Missing article from the list of backpack contents: penalty of 30 minutes for each missing object.
4. Badly placed bib, absence of bib or bib illegible: penalty of 30 minutes for each offense.
5. Outside of the cut-off time during any stage of the race: disqualification.
6. Missed control stations: penalty of 2 hours.
7. Food, water or assistance received from an outsider to the race organization: penalty of 3 hours.
8. Receiving an IV drip (the decision of the medical staff is final).
9. Discarding bottles of water during the race – penalty form 3 hours to disqualification, all bottles well be numbered.

Art. 21 COMPETITOR’S DECLARATION

Each runner must report any medical contraindications or any medications being taken to the medical team.

Each runner has informed themselves of the medical contraindications that may affect their participation in the ODM and, accordingly, absolves the race organization (including medical and technical staff) of any responsibility for medical problems or injuries that they may incur during the event.

The moral person organizing the event does not have civil liability insurance and, by signing the race rules, each participant confirms that they are aware of this and agrees explicitly not to hold the organizer liable nor to claim compensation in any way.

Art. 22 : MODIFICATION
The Organizers reserve the right to modify these regulations at any time.