Ultramarathon runners take part in 50km race around Expo 2020 Dubai Lake - in pictures

The desert race saw professional endurance runners from 31 countries take part

Participants competing in the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon at Expo 2020 Dubai Lake. All photos: Ruel Pableo for The National

People took part in the 50km desert ultra-race or the 5km dune run.

Saeed Hareb, secretary general of Dubai Sports Council, and Mustafa Al Khalfawi, head of global banking UAE at FAB, plant a ghaf tree at the Expo 2020 Dubai Lake.

And they're off: the 50km marathon gets under way.

Al Khalfawi with the winners (men) of the 5km race - Paul Komo in first place; Mohammed Al Hassani, second, and Ebrahim Al Shamsi, third.

Participants prepare for the marathon.

Hareb with the female winners of the 5km race - Ari Bekker, first; Akemi Hoshi-i-Maikranz, second, and Greta Treeby, third.

Runners warm up before the race.

The sun was out on race day.

Proud participants pose with their medals after completing the race.

Selfies and smiles at the finish line.

Runners brave the desert heat.

Proud participants pose with their medals.

Two women pose with their medals after completing the 5km race.

Participants had their physical endurance, courage, and determination put to the test.

The course went through various types of desert landscapes.

The Ultramarathon was organised following demand from runners looking for challenging competitions.

The 5km race is perfect for people who are new to running.

The 50km race attracted some of the best runners from across the region and from among the international ultra-running elite.

A finisher of the 50km race is given a medal at Al Marmoom Ultramarathon at Expo 2020 Park.

A 50km finisher shows off his medal at Al Marmoom Ultramarathon.

The 50km female race winner Ivan Kolavic stands with third-place finisher Carla Andre on the victory stand, (second-place winner Zoe Cresswell is not in the picture) at Al Marmoom Ultramarathon at Expo 2020 Park.

Participants of the 50km race at the end line at Al Marmoom Ultramarathon.

Participants of the 50km race arriving at the finish line.

Winners of the 50km men's race: Rachid El Morabity in first place, Salameh Al Aqra in second, and Gareth Gallagher in third, with Mustafa Al Khalfawi, head of global banking UAE at FAB.

A participant in the 50km race gestures as he arrives at the finish line at Al Marmoom Ultramarathon.

A participant reaches the finish line at Al Marmoom Ultramarathon.

Some of the world’s top desert ultramarathoners gathered in Dubai on Saturday for the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon.

Taking place in the dunes of the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, the race offered a 5-kilometre trail for beginner runners, as well as a 50km race for the professionals.

The course took runners around the Expo 2020 Dubai Lake. Organised under the umbrella of Dubai Sports Council, the race attracted participants from 31 countries, as well as 54 different nationalities from within the UAE.

The participants included both professional endurance runners as well as recreational ultra and desert runners.

Both the 50km and 5km routes challenged participants, combining running across and over sand dunes as well as hard sand tracks.

Paul Komo was the winner of the men's 5km race, while Ari Bekker came first in the women's 5km race.

The race was followed by a ceremonial ghaf tree-planting around the Expo 2020 Dubai Lake as part of the UAE Golden Jubilee celebrations. It was carried out by Saeed Hareb, secretary-general of Dubai Sports Council and Mustafa Al Khalfawi, head of global banking UAE at FAB.

Scroll through the gallery above to see pictures from the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon