ALULA — The first edition of "AlUla" EcoTrail will kick off on Saturday as part of Winter at Tantora festival, with the objective of developing sport and tourism in the beautiful AlUla area, which is known for its prehistoric and rich cultural sites.

The participants will have the opportunity to race different categories and in varied disciplines. There’s the 83km and 45km race for those who are into Ultra Running, in the 10km trail for the habitual runner or in the 10km hike for beginners.

This sporting event takes place as part of the Winter at Tantora Festival to promote tourism and culture of Saudi Arabia. runners that will capture Al Ula’s incomparable beauty as they pace through the ruins.

The idea of the EcoTrail was born in 2007 in the suburbs of Paris, by a group of trail running friends who wanted to train in an environment while organizing eco-friendly trail running races while highlighting local heritage.

The concept started expanding to other cities in 2012, first in Brussels, capital of Europe with runners helping in spreading the message of conserving environment while competing in races.

In 2015, two drastically different cities also joined the EcoTrail: Oslo (Norway) and Funchal (Madeira, Portugal). Both destinations helped widening the type of courses available on the circuit.

Then came Madrid in 2016 and Stockholm + Reykjavik in 2017, increasing again the number of destinations to discover.

In 2018, two new destinations joined the adventure: Florence and Geneva. In 2019, EcoTrail family grew again and welcomed 3 new EcoTrail: Wicklow in Ireland, Chiang Mai in Thailand & Putrajaya in Malaysia.

EcoTrail concept is still growing, with Middle East too getting into the act — this time in AlUla in Saudi Arabia. — SPA