MUSCAT: If anyone can hold up the truth of a popular saying ‘ age is just a number’, it has to be Hamad Al Harthy.

Being one of Oman’s best and most experienced long-distance runners, he has set himself the daunting challenge of running 560km in seven days as he takes on the ‘Border to Coast’ challenge. Starting from Um Zumul, the border town where Oman meets the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on 13 March 2022, he aims to arrive in Sur by 19 March, all in aid of Donate.om, Oman’s donations portal for charitable organisations.

The route he has chosen will pass through the village of Al Khuwayr in the A’Dhahira Governorate, ‘Uwayfiyah and Adam – the halfway point of the journey. From there, he will head to Al Mudaibi and Al Qabil in the North A’Sharqiyah Governorate and then through to Sur. The journey offers a varied challenge of different terrains, landscapes and temperatures to contend with.

Speaking ahead of the start, Hamad said, “I have always been passionate about challenging myself and inspiring others through running. The Border to Coast event is an opportunity to engage with runners from across the country and raise awareness of the sport in each governorate, while raising funds for charitable causes within Oman. It is a unique challenge across the entire width of our nation, covering a variety of different surfaces and communities, and I hope to see many more runners along the way as they come together to share this journey with me.”

The 63-year-old has dedicated his entire life to running and has conquered some of the most challenging races in the world. In 2018, he competed in OMAN by UTMB®️ and Ushuaia by UTMB®️ in Argentina in 2019, UTMB®️ Mont-Blanc2021 and reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro the same year.

He will be accompanied by a community of running enthusiasts in each governorate along the way, as well as a technical and logistics team to ensure his safety and maintain the correct course.