Dates for Abu Dhabi's 2021 Spartan World Championships have been revealed

It's the first time the event has been held outside the US

 While Spartan races have taken place in the UAE before, this is the first time the Spartan World Championship is coming to the region. Leslie Pableo / The National

This December, athletes from all over the world will descend on Abu Dhabi for the 2021 Spartan World Championships.

This will mark the first time the event has taken place outside US, in the "harshest desert terrain in Spartan history".

It will be held in a section of the Liwa Desert between  December 3 and 5.

The tournament, hosted in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, was originally scheduled for early December 2020, but was postponed because of international travel restrictions owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The championship weekend will feature the Elite Spartan World Championship, the Spartan Team World Championship and the Spartan Kids World Championship, which is open to children ages 10 to 14 who have placed in the top three in their age and gender group at Spartan Kids races around the world.

The event is well-known for its gruelling obstacles, and the desert landscape only serves to make this challenge even more demanding.

To get a better idea of what's to come, take a look at the video below of the 2019 world championships in North Lake Tahoe:

This year's tournament kicks off with the kids' event on the Friday, followed that evening by the Elite Spartan Beast Championship, a half-marathon route for qualified competitors only.

On the Saturday, there will be Open Spartan Beast heats, more races for children and it will culminate that night with the Teams World Championship.

Festivities promise to be infused with Emirati culture, too, as the event will also feature activities, traditional food, cultural shows, dune rides, yoga classes, a parade and, of course, fireworks.

There's a total prize pot of about $115,000. The top 10 male and female contenders in the Elite category will take home some cash, with the top prize at Dh73,450, while second place runners get just more than Dh55,000.

Sign-up costs start from $214.99.

More information is at race.spartan.com