‘Hottest race in the region’ ends without a hitch

Winners of the 10 km, 21 km and 42 km races split the prize money of SR176,000 ($46,900). (Supplied)
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Updated 25 August 2024
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‘Hottest race in the region’ ends without a hitch

  • Second annual AlUla Desert Blaze saw 320 runners beat the summer heat on Saturday

ALULA: Temperatures rose to more than 43 degrees as 320 runners made it across the finish line for the second annual AlUla Desert Blaze on Saturday.

A DJ played energetic tunes to help motivate the runners at the start of the day and continued to play upbeat beats throughout the race. All participants, for the 5 km, 10 km, 21 km and 42 km, started at the same time but each had a different route and signage to help them find their way.

There were hydration stations every 2.5 km, along with bananas and cooling gels.

After the race, there were ice baths available as well as showers, games and snacks. And, of course, plenty of cold water and ice.

In the 5 km race, the female winners were Hana Nimry from Jordan, who was placed first, followed by Sundus Alhawsawi from Saudi Arabia in second and Angela Wober from Austria in third. For the males, Amin Abdullah from Afghanistan took first place, Mohammed Omar from Algeria came in second and Haiel Gebran Yahya from Saudi Arabia secured third.

In the 10 km race, Wafa Zaroual from Morocco claimed first place among the women, with Samar Jassim from Iraq in second and Jade Palmer from New Zealand in third. Youssef Nasir from Morocco topped the male category, followed by Bourhim El-Bouzyry from Morocco in second, and Ali Alshahrani from Saudi Arabia in third.

The 21 km race saw Elfinseh Demise Amare from Ethiopia finish first among the females, with her compatriots Arado Gulume Hailu and Welala Lemlem Girmay taking second and third places, respectively. In the male category, Mickael Gasc from France claimed first place, followed by Ahmad Yoosuf from Nigeria in second and Sebr Saleh from Eritrea in third.

Finally, in the 42.2 km race, the female winners were Eden Alemu Dadi from Ethiopia in first place, Bethlehem Nega Ferede from Ethiopia in second and Tetiana Maltseva from Ukraine in third. For the men, Abdelaziz Ahnida from Morocco took first place, with Amine Khadiri from Cyprus in second place and Tayron Fatuma Usen from Ethiopia in third.

Winners of the 10 km, 21 km and 42 km races split the prize money of SR176,000 ($46,900). All participants who crossed the finish line received a medal.

Mohammed Adel Flihan from Riyadh ran in the 10 km race and was excited for the chance to see his home country in a new light.

“I’m from Riyadh and this is my first time in AlUla. I’m excited to explore this historic, cultural and natural area in Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News.

“This isn’t my first race; I participated in the Riyadh Marathon in February. Since then, I’ve enjoyed participating in races — but the first time in the heat! Competing in the summer was a challenge but I’m enjoying it. I’m really impressed with the changes I’ve seen in the Kingdom and amazed that such a place exists in Saudi Arabia. I see people from all over the world coming to experience this event,” Flihan said.

Before the event, Oliver Marshall, medical director at the race, assured runners that safety was their first priority but that each person should self-monitor and not overexert.

“As it is every year, really listen to your body throughout the race; this is a really high-level heat race with 48 degrees and a really low wind. It’s really important to manage your hydration status — not only by staying hydrated — but really to be wary of not over-hydrating,” Marshall reminded runners.

There were no reported injuries or accidents, so the event was considered a success by the organizers.

On their website, AlUla Moments described the event as: “Taking place in the hottest month of the year, AlUla Desert Blaze pushes the limits of participants from all over the world. Runners will pass through AlUla’s most iconic sites, where the epic landscapes inspire them to push through to the finish. There is no other race like this in the region, making the AlUla Desert Blaze a ‘blaze of glory’ for those daring enough to take on this formidable challenge against nature.”

The Race Arabia team collaborated with the Royal Commission for AlUla for the race.

The 2025 AlUla Desert Blaze is expected to take place next summer.


Bahrain game ‘crucial’ for Saudi World Cup qualification hopes, says coach Herve Renard

Updated 30 sec ago
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Bahrain game ‘crucial’ for Saudi World Cup qualification hopes, says coach Herve Renard

  • With 2 games left to play in 3rd round of the qualifiers and the Green Falcons sitting 3rd in Group C, he warns that 6 points are a ‘must’
  • The squad’s final preparations are going well, he adds, with a renewed spirit and clear determination among the players to perform well

MANAMA: Saudi Arabia’s match against Bahrain on Thursday is “crucial” to their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, coach Herve Renard said on Wednesday.
The away game will be followed by a showdown with Australia at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah on Tuesday, as the third round of the qualifiers draws to a close.
The Saudis are sitting third in the six-team Group C, 10 points behind already qualified Japan and trailing Australia by three. The top two in the group qualify automatically for the finals, while those who finish third and fourth will fight it out with four other teams for the last three spots. At this point no outcome is certain for the Green Falcons, who are just four points ahead of bottom-of-the-group China.
Speaking at the prematch press conference in Manama, Renard said the Saudis must take maximum points from their remaining games.
“We have to win the six points in the next two matches,” the Frenchman said. “Knowing the outcome of the Australia-Japan match (on Thursday) in advance gives us an important psychological boost ahead of the Bahrain match, and it may also determine my final message to the players.”
The squad’s final preparations for the game were going well, he added, with a renewed spirit and clear determination among the players to perform at a level worthy of the team, despite the difficult task ahead.
The position they are in reflects the team’s stumbling start to this phase of the qualifiers, Renard said, but everyone is determined to restore balance to the team and win.


Boisson ‘going for the dream’ at French Open after injury nightmare

Updated 04 June 2025
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Boisson ‘going for the dream’ at French Open after injury nightmare

  • Boisson swept past world number six Mirra Andreeva in a thrilling two-set battle 7-6 (8/6), 6-3
  • The 22-year-old had already eliminated US third seed Jessica Pegula two days ago

PARIS: Lois Boisson has “resilience” tattooed above her right elbow and the 361st-ranked Frenchwoman demonstrated she had plenty as she stormed into semifinals of the French Open on Wednesday.

Boisson swept past world number six Mirra Andreeva in a thrilling two-set battle 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 in just over two hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.

The 22-year-old had already eliminated US third seed Jessica Pegula two days ago.


A wildcard entry, Boisson is making her Grand Slam debut in Paris after seriously injuring her left knee a week before Roland Garros 12 months ago.

On Wednesday, the French national anthem rang out in the crowd as Boisson and 18-year-old Andreeva warmed up.

“It gave me the chill, I have to say,” said Boisson. “But it was extraordinary to have the crowd supporting me so much.

“Even though sometimes it’s a bit raucous and there is a lot of noise between two points.”

Boisson had trailed 3-1 and 5-3 in the first set but saved set points to turn the match in her favor.

She kept her cool as last year’s semifinalist Andreeva unraveled from a 3-0 lead in the second set to win the last six games.

A frustrated Andreeva received a warning from the umpire for blasting the ball into the crowd. She was then booed when she argued with the umpire over a line call.

“Obviously I expected it,” said the Russian of the partisan home crowd.

“I think that in the first set I managed it pretty well.. but obviously with nerves and with pressure, it became a little harder.”

Andreeva struggled with the pressure, hitting nine double-faults in total, and made 43 unforced errors to Boisson’s 27.

She conceded the final game to love as Boisson wrapped up victory on her first match point.

The player from Dijon advances to meet US world number two Coco Gauff, who battled back from a set down to beat Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-1.

“For sure I will go for the dream, because my dream is to win it, not to be in the semifinal,” warned Boisson.

“My routine won’t change, it’s been the same since the start of the tournament,” she added of her preparation for Thursday’s semifinal.

Former US Open winner Gauff, 21, said she would just pretend the home crowd was “cheering for me.”

“Just using it and not letting that get to you.”

Boisson becomes the lowest-ranked major semifinalist in the last 40 years.

Winner of the Saint Malo tournament on the secondary circuit in 2024, she was ranked 152nd before her injury.

“(It) was the toughest moment of my life,” said Boisson, who had only won one match on the main circuit before Roland Garros — at the modest WTA 250 event in Rouen on clay in April.

Her earnings this year have been 18,470 euros ($21,100) for a career-total 130,000 euros ($148,000).

Reaching the singles semifinals at Roland Garros will earn her a paycheck of 690,000 euros.

The winner receives 2.55 million euros and the runner-up half that.

“She’s probably a better player than her ranking right now,” said Andreeva.

“I think that if she keeps playing like this, freely and not being scared or afraid... I think everyone can win.

“It’s going to be pretty interesting to watch. I think if maybe she believes in herself enough, maybe she can.”

Boisson is the third player to reach the semifinals in her Grand Slam main-draw debut since 1980, following Monica Seles and Jennifer Capriati who also did it at Roland Garros in 1989 and 1990.

She becomes the first French semifinalist at her home Grand Slam event since Marion Bartoli in 2011 — and the first in the Open Era to do it as a wildcard.


Saudi footballer Abdulmalik Al-Jaber shines on European stage

Updated 04 June 2025
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Saudi footballer Abdulmalik Al-Jaber shines on European stage

  • Al-Nassr star’s performances in Bosnia put him at top of list of 9 Saudi players across 7 of Europe’s football leagues
  • Faisal Al-Ghamdi played as key midfielder for Beerschot in Belgium

BEIRUT: Midfielder Abdulmalik Al-Jaber has been a guiding light among Saudi players making their mark in Europe following his impressive spell at Bosnia’s FK Zeljeznicar.

Al-Nassr announced on Monday the capture of 21-year-old Al-Jaber on a four-year contract after his strong season with FK Zeljeznicar where played 33 times, scored three goals and assisted in three more.

Al-Jaber’s performances put him at the top of a list of nine Saudi players who played across seven different European leagues last season.

Faisal Al-Ghamdi, 23, played 29 times for Belgian club Beerschot where he was a key player in midfield, scoring one goal and assisting in the creation of another.

Clubmate and forward Marwan Al-Sahafi also impressed, the 21-year-old scoring six times and making one assist across 28 games.

Mohanad Al-Saad, 21, played for Dunkerque in France and scored four goals in 15 matches — one of them against Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup semifinal, a proud moment despite the 4-2 defeat.

Saud Abdulhamid, 25, got some valuable minutes with AS Roma in Italy where he played eight matches, scoring once and making one assist. Four of his appearances were in Serie A, the top tier.

Midfielder Mohammed Al-Rashidi, 23, boasted eight appearances for Greece’s Panserraikos and a total of 184 minutes on the pitch.

Three other young players had a taste of European football. Hussain Al-Taha, 19, played three matches for Croatian side Vukovar, while Mishal Haddad, 20, appeared in two games for Vinkovci, also in Croatia. Yazan Madani, 20, played twice as left-back for Albania’s Egnatia.

With more Saudi players heading to Europe, it is clear that the future looks bright for talented footballers from the KIngdom.

These youngsters are gaining experience, growing in confidence, and helping to raise the profile of Saudi football on the international stage.


Middlesbrough sack manager Michael Carrick

Updated 04 June 2025
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Middlesbrough sack manager Michael Carrick

  • The former Manchester United midfielder had been in charge at Boro since October 2022
  • “Middlesbrough Football Club has today parted company with head coach Michael Carrick,” the club said

LONDON: Middlesbrough on Wednesday sacked manager Michael Carrick after the Championship club missed out on a play-off place during the 2024/25 season.

The former Manchester United and England midfielder, who previously had a spell as caretaker boss at Old Trafford, had been in charge at Boro since October 2022.

The 43-year-old guided Middlesbrough to the Championship play-offs in the 2022/23 season but they have missed out on the top six in the past two campaigns.

“Middlesbrough Football Club has today parted company with head coach Michael Carrick,” the club said in a statement.

“Michael’s assistants Jonathan Woodgate and Graeme Carrick have also departed the club.

“We’d like thank Michael, Jonathan, and Graeme for all their hard work and unwavering commitment. We wish them all the very best for the future.”

Middlesbrough won just one of their final six league games to finish 10th in the Championship table, four points off the play-off spots.


Arsenal in talks with Partey over new deal as Jorginho and Sterling depart

Updated 04 June 2025
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Arsenal in talks with Partey over new deal as Jorginho and Sterling depart

  • Partey’s contract is due to expire on June 30
  • The Ghana international has been with Arsenal since 2020

LONDON: Arsenal are in talks with Thomas Partey to extend the midfielder’s contract, the club said Wednesday, while confirming the departure of a slew of other players including Jorginho and Raheem Sterling.

Partey’s contract is due to expire on June 30 and Arsenal said “discussions are on-going.”

The Ghana international has been with Arsenal since 2020.

Italy midfielder Jorginho, Scotland left back Kieran Tierney, Brazilian goalkeeper Neto and Sterling — at one stage a key player for England — are among those confirmed to be leaving Arsenal.

Sterling was only on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

Arsenal have just finished second in the Premier League for the third straight season.