Kalba Kickr: Pink Dots And Boulders

Have you ever imagined that as a middle-of-the-pack ultrarunner that you would be ahead of some of the top local athletes forty minutes into a race? Forty minutes into the Kalba Kickr, somehow I was ahead of ultrarunners like Lee Harris, Simon Dury and Elliot Lewis.

- David O'Hara

Expect the Unexpected

To ensure that nobody has a sense of complacency, Urban Ultra introduced this season the Kalba Kickr, a 45km ultra trail event with a seven-hour cut off through the Hajar Mountains around Kalba. Runners often get lulled into a false sense of security that anything is possible: just work harder and take electrolytes. However, Louise and Pascal mark the route with precision and care, to ensure that no boulder is bypassed, that no section is too level, and that when faced with the choice between a rock and a hard place – we climb over the rock and then through the hard place. What all UAE trail runners should know about Urban Ultra: expect the unexpected.

Foreboding Sense of Impending Happiness

Olga and I head out to Kalba the night before to enjoy camping out under the stars and avoid the very early morning drive. The temperature before sunrise is warm, which means things are gonna get toasty in a few hours. When morning comes, we get a sense of foreboding when we see that we are surrounded by very rocky mountains with no trees or trails. The route for the 45km is two ‘lollipops’ which should be 22.5km each. However, even the best plans often go awry.

Follow the Pink Dots