Gregory Basilico and Alisa Petrova crowned 2024 Spartan World Champions

Frenchman Gregory Basilico was crowned the Men’s Champion of the fourth edition of the Spartan World Championship, which was held in the Al Wathba Desert in Abu Dhabi, organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Spartan, the world's most prominent name in endurance and obstacle course sports.

This year's championship is one of the most significant and largest competitive tests of physical fitness and ability, representing the world’s most challenging obstacle courses. Organising this event marks yet another successful extension of plans to attract major international events that consolidate Abu Dhabi's position as a global sports destination.

Basilico won the Men’s Elite Challenge after finishing the 21K race, comprised of 30 obstacles, in 2 hours, 1 minute and 3 seconds. Basilico beat Richard Hynek from the Czech Republic, who came in second with a time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 37 seconds, and Thibault Jean, who finished third with a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes and 18 seconds.

In the Women’s Elite Challenge, Russian Alisa Petrova won the title after taking first place with a time of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 58 seconds, a large margin over American Nicole Mericle, who came in second, and Czech Zuzana Kocumova, who finished third.

The World Championship for the 3K Team Relay (Elite Team Relay Championships) saw the Russian team of Sergei Perelygin, Alisa Petrova and Igor Belousov winning first place with a time of 20 minutes and 32 seconds, the French team of Jeremie Gachet, David Labrosse and Leslie Legion finishing second, and the Slovak team of Petr Kneja, Jan Fleder and Ester Hortobajova coming in third.

The first day of the Championship debuted a new Ladies Only Night Sprint (5K + 20 Obstacles), allowing female athletes to compete in privacy amidst the sand dunes of the Al Wathba Desert. On Friday, another 5K Night Sprint was held, also featuring 20 obstacles, allowing both male and female atheletes to compete in one of the most difficult stages of the Championship.

The Beast - 21K + 30 Obstacles (Elite and Age Group World Championship) Challenge and the Kids’ Races (1-3K + Obstacles) were held on the third day of the Championship, with hundreds of community participants. The winners were crowned by His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Joe De Sena, Founder and CEO of Spartan, His Excellency Talal Al Hashemi, Executive Director of the Events Sector at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Adel Al Yaqoubi, Director of the International Events Department at Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Nasser Al Reyami, representative of Burjeel Holding, Norma Shaheen, representative of Al Masaood Equipment Rental, and Vesselin Galov, representative of Al Wathba Desert Resort & Spa.

His Excellency Aref Hamad Al Awani, General Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, expressed his pride in the great participation in this Championship. He said: "We are proud of the great global participation in the Elite Men's and Women's competitions in the championship, which is being held for the third consecutive time in the Al Wathba Desert and the fourth in Abu Dhabi after the first edition was hosted in the Liwa Desert in the Al Dhafra region."

Al Awani congratulated the winners of the first three days of the competition, which featured the Ladies Only Night Sprint on the first day and the Open Night Sprint on the second, expressing his happiness with the successful launch of the prestigious event that enjoys great global interest and respect. He also appreciated the wide community participation, especially as the Championship coincided with the UAE’s 53rd National Day celebrations, in a wonderful festive atmosphere that further cements the nation and its capital’s positions as global sports destinations.

The Spartan Village provided a range of unique activities and culinary treats from food trucks for both participants and visitors at the event site. The Village also hosted the tournament sponsors, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), Al Masaood Automobiles, Burjeel Holding, Al Ain Water, Nirvana Events, Travel, Accommodation and Logistics, Tadweer Group, Al Wathba Desert Resort and Spa, Al Masaood Equipment Rental and Optimum Nutrition, who took the opportunity to display their products for a global audience of thousands of participants from more than 80 countries around the world.

Additionally, participants had the opportunity to visit the Sheikh Zayed Festival, which offers a range of extremely rich and diverse events for many recreational, heritage, sports and cultural activities that bring together families, individuals, citizens, expatriates and tourists in an atmosphere that embodies unity, fun and joy, reflecting the spirit of tolerance and coexistence adopted by the UAE.