Arab News | Saudi trail runner Nasser Hakami sets Gulf record after fourth UTMB finish

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia trail runner Nasser Hakami has completed the 176-km HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc race for the fourth consecutive year, crossing the finish line in 34 hours, 35 minutes and setting a new Gulf record.

The race is the world’s pinnacle event in trail running, attracting almost 10,000 runners every year.

Hakam’s achievement came after more than a day of running through the mountains around Mont Blanc, across France, Italy and Switzerland, in a race known for its punishing climbs, technical terrain, darkness, cold and unpredictable weather.

Hakami said his main challenges were not only physical but also mental. 

“The toughest moments came as physical and mental fatigue set in alongside sleep deprivation,” Hakami told Arab News. “Every step required a redoubling of willpower. 

Commenting on taking part in the toughest race in the world, he said: “Every time I stand on the UTMB starting line, I know I am facing a new challenge.

“But this year, I wanted to take another step forward in my journey and hopefully add something meaningful to the record of Gulf endurance running.”

For Hakami, completing the race for the fourth consecutive year represents more than a personal sporting achievement.

It reflects his commitment to representing Saudi Arabia on the international trail-running stage and contributing to the growing presence of athletes from the Kingdom in mountain endurance sports.

“When you reach the finish line and see the Saudi flag in front of you, you realize that every difficult hour and every step through the mountains was worth it,” he said.

According to Hakami there were moments when he was close to giving up.

“Yes, there were moments when I thought about stopping — which is natural in a race of this magnitude,” he said. “But I would regain my composure and press on, knowing that the fatigue was temporary and that reaching the finish line was worth all the struggle.”

What kept him going was the thought of his family and the moment when the race would finally end.

He imagined his daughter, Athari, and his son, Turki, waiting for him at the finish line.

“I was thinking of Athari and Turki, imagining the moment I would embrace them at the finish line,” he said.

When he finally saw them, he said, the exhaustion disappeared.

“When I saw them waiting for me, all the pain vanished,” Hakami said. “I felt that I wasn’t just running to set a record, but to return to them victorious.”

For Hakami, the Gulf record is a milestone — but not a destination.

“The Gulf record is an important milestone, but it is not the finish line,” he said. “There are still bigger mountains, tougher races and greater goals ahead.”

His ambition now is to keep pushing his limits while carrying the Saudi flag into some of the world’s toughest endurance races.