“Challenging for beginners.painless for experienced - It was definitely tougher than I thought it would be. But I ran much faster after the turnaround, which means it’s all about how experienced/prepared you are for a certain terrain and in certain conditions.”

“"Simply Awesome - It was challenging every step" - Congratulations Urban Ultra and The North Face Team for the success of the trail run. ”

“Great experience! - Though I didn't get my finish time, it was a great experience! I am looking forward for more trail/rock run. ”

“Awesome night! - It was great! I loved the energy the organisers put into it... I would have liked to know that it was a timed race as I would have pushed harder to go faster! The bbq and bonfire area was AWESOME and should have been described to lure people into staying for the bbq! Absolutely fantastic event. ”

“Challenging but well organized - It was a tough race but i knew what i was getting into so no complaints there. Too bad that the first couple of kms were the narrowest and maybe the roughest; it might have put people off. BBQ afterwards fun. I hope to do the race again next year and will look for more runs organized by the Urban Ultra group”

“Different.... - First event of this type and good to do something different. Some confusion over / at race pack collection in AD. A good event just a shame we couldn't hear the race briefing.....”

“Well dunn - Food no good”

“Awesome end to the season - Never done a Wadi trail run in the dark, a bit sceptical but WOW what an event. I'm used to doing the WAR series and Urbanatlons plus any 10kms that take my fancy but this event just added an extra spark to my 10k CV. GREAT EVENT. IF there was 1 thing i'd suggest is the 'there and back' nature of the course. i understand, like me there's a few of us who wanted to get a good time & having to dive and jump out of the way of oncoming traffic had it's moments. That's a minor negative. Well done all”

“Awesome event and great to be part of it! - We decided to end our running season by doing the 5km as a family. For us this was the best racing event of the season. Getting the opportunity to introduce trail running to our 8 year old daughter was amazing and she loved doing it, even after all the falling (lesson: it's how you get up and go on, not how you fall). We sure hope there will be more races like this for the kids/families. Overall it was an awesome event, especially running up to a cheering crowd at the end. We sure did love it!”

“Great Experience, Different than normal Road Runni - Would love to take part again.”

“Not for people who want to run fast - Admittedly there was fair warning about the rocky conditions of the trails. Now I know to never do an event like this again. I've done plenty of road races up to half marathon. I ran cross country in high school and college. When I run races, I like to run them as fast as I can. On this course, it was impossible to do so without getting hurt. It's not so much a "race", more like a "see if you can get to the finish line without rolling your ankle". Maybe that's what some people like, not me.”

“It can get better - I joined this event along with my family: Wife + 2 below 16 yr olds. Firstly, on registration there was a mis-communication on the shirt sizes. It clearly mentioned that the shirts were adult sizes and we had to take note of that for our kids. However upon collection at the Dubai Mall, my son's Shirt was not for adults and was given a kid's size shirt which was very small for him. Next the food was disappointing. Please look into these for future events. Thank you!”

“How expensive is a megaphone? - A one way track was not such a great idea.. we had to move everytime people passed us or else pumb into them..”

“Great race, friendly people and well organized. - Great event. All generally well organized. Was a few problems with runners returning on same track and colissions etc. but nothing major. Nice atmosphere afterwards with the fires. Would love to see more of these types of events having been involved for years in fell running in the UK - particularly with such good mountain terrain. ”

“Great experience! - Well organised and what a great medal! Directions to the event could be clearer. maybe some lights or flags to show the directions better as it was quite difficult to find and also indicate how long it will take to get there from Dubai and RAK so you can plan better. The rest was lovely!”

“Fantastic run! - Excellent!!! Do it again! I will!”

“A great first event! - What could have been better: Pre-race announcement: Unable to hear the race director. The experience of collecting the Goodie bag was not good. It might be best not to collect the bags from the sponsors in the future. ”

“Thank you for a job well done! - Overall everything was great I had a wonderful time and would definitely come back again and have already recommended that friends try it. My 2 cents on how to make it even better are: - Advertise the event prior (I wouldn't have heard about it had a friend not told me prior) - The food was a bit disappointing for a bbq; it could be more healthy with more protien options ”

“A fun first trail run! - Really enjoyed my first trail run experience! Yes, it was tough on the ankles but that was expected! Would have been useful to have more course markings though (maybe glow sticks on the trees as well as the reflector). I thought that atmosphere was great and was really impressed with all the goodies that we got for the 200aed entrance fee. I also think the right decision was taken not to time, as this would definitely have caused more accidents. Looking forward to the next one!”

“Good Run, a better Hike than a run - The trail felt like it was more suitable for a hike than for a run, but over all it was fun and enjoyable.”

“A fun event just like the night rebel - The course was fun, albeit a little precarious. Wish this event was held during day in December/January. ”

“Great event in an amazing location - It was simply awesome !!! ”

“People should follow the rules- challenging - I had a great time and it was just as advertised and was something different. Make people follow the rules - I saw too many people ill equipped - no first aid kit, no water etc - if they don't have it - don't let them run it puts people in a difficult position. Its a trail run in the dark - people should expect it to be hard and fun - its not for the faint of heart but great starter event. Check in was good and food great all in all a fantastic event and a good way to finish my season.”

“Amazing run - I hope there are lots more of these next season”

“An epic event!! - This was definitely an ankle twister and a knee bruiser trail, but it was also an adventurous and challenging route. It keeps you vigilant and sharpens your senses. It was exhilirating to run such a trail falls and all (yes I fell too, twice). The friendly and vibrant atmosphere before and especially after the run wiped away all the pains. A huge thanks to everyone for their humongous efforts in making this a memorable event.”

“Well planned and organised. - This was my first trail run since I'm In the UAE and it was absolutely awesome. The setting was beautiful - a most memorable day. Thank you. ”

“A nice experience but course a little dangerous - Quiet an enjoyable evening no question. New experience, good weather and overall nice atmosphere. The course is a little tricky in the dark and there are parts where you cannot run but have to walk to avoid injury. It was also mentioned that normal running shoes were fine but it turned up that trail shoes are essential if you don't want to have to stop to avoid slipping. But all in all a nice experience and good value for money given the North Face t shirt, medal and BBQ ”

“Fun and unusal trail run great organisation - As usual a great reace by Urban Ultra. This was a night time trail race and as such provided an interesting and beautiful course,on rocky trails under starry skies. Great organisation and party atmosphere with BBQ and campfires- a really lovely race. Communications by race organisers were really good clearly explaining the nature of the run and mandatory kit requirements. Clear course markings and friendly checkpoints made sure all where taken care for on the course. Great event.”

“Very good. Keep it coming (few improvements) - Kudos for getting the event off the ground. Hope more to come. Good job. Trail marks good. Guys at stations good (more water and not just 2 cooler would help). Few improvements below: 1) BBQ/Food: just bad. I understand it is hard to serve 500 people, but to me it was inedible 2) Trail could be more difficult. Otherwise it turn just into another fast running race 3) Megaphone at start helps ”

“Very enjoyable event. - I really enjoyed it, there was great spirit on the night & great support. The start could have been improved if there was a PA system set up to save the poor woman having to shout. The seating area for bbq was really good. It was nice to chill with friends afterwards.”

“Gnarly and rocky, as advertised - Better route markings. Need loudspeaker at briefing.”

“A great first experience - I was a bit worried about trying something like this. The fantastic communication and the wonderful community formed by and around the organisers made it a great experience. I admire the effort the organsiers and the volunteers put into this event. Having 500 people running on a Friday night was a very special experience.”

“Awesome event, tough course - Tough course but what else to expect from a trail run. And we were all "warned" to take a 1st aid kit with us. So, 2 thumbs up. The BBQ station was a bit small to cater to the amount of people. There were big queues. So, I didnt eat but that's ok. Great setting overall and a great team of helpers. There was a bit too many emails prior to the race but that was, as far I understand to conquer hiccups. Generally, their amount of communication for the other events is always just right.”

“Great Experience, quite a tough event - Excellent course, great for fairly fit and healthy individuals. not really for beginners this one. I did overhear the lady who was doing the intro say "oh, now the mic decides to work" so that was a technical hitch - but there should have been a back up with such a dangerous event. lots of people falling, bloodied and battered, including myself. good toilets, good food/seating. Would definitely do it again!”

“Well organised event - I thoroughly enjoyed this race and look forward to the next ones. ”

“Great event, good vibe ! - Race Director needs a microphone and needs to keep it snappy. Too much (sometimes conflicting) pre race communications. Content was good though.”

“Plenty of weekend fun - Really enjoyed the evening race, and it was encouraging to see it as such a family-friendly environment! I had issue with collecting the race pack at S&S in Abi Dhabi, as the staff didn't really seem too certain what was going on. Camping out in the desert is always a bit of craic though, so overall it was a really successful weekend. Looking forward to next season already!”

“Overall a great event! - Impressive organization - before, during, after - massive well done to all who were behind this great event! Wish these were more frequent, will surely participate in any other trail run day/night time. Well done and thank you again to all! Very memorable evening... Kind regards, Josef Figa”

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“Great event, totally unexpected scenery - Fantastic idea, really like it. On the other side, very risky terrain, with numerous obstacles on the road. I will always participate to the same event, providing safer track is selected. Excellent organisation. Big thanks to the Urban Ultra. ”

“A really challenging and unusual event - A great course that provided a real challenge with an awesome BBQ afterwards - great stuff. I will definitely do this race again. The only 2 suggestions I would make are...use the PA for the race briefing and don't allow dogs on the course - tripping over a stray dog/lead could spoil a great evening.”

“Amazing experience - What a great evening! Congratulations to organization!”

“Very Unique and Exhilarating Event - Really enjoyed the run. Was difficult but very unique. I am happy to get away uninjured, but I knew the risks of running an off-road 10k at night. Overall, I was very happy I tried this out and would definitely come again next time. My only suggestion is the food - there are better catering services than what was provided.”

“What were they thinking?!? - The North Face Night Rock Run was described as a course for beginners who wanted an introduction to trail running. The actual course was anything but that. Who ever chose the route clearly didn't run it before hand, because if they did they would have realized quickly that it was completely unrunnable. I finished the course bloody and battered with a sprained ankle that is now in a splint. Thank you North Face, now go to trail running hell!”

“How did they make this happen. Awesome - Well done to the organisation team. I will be back.”

“Crazy run through mountainous terrain - Well organised and good vibe to the event. The run itself was extremely hard going underfoot (I fell 3 times, as did many others) but a unique experience. Great atmosphere and camaraderie....Woke up the next day battered and bruised but with a smile on my face....looking forward to doing it again next year!”

“Great atmosphere&organisation. Bad for ankles! - Loved the atmosphere, food, and general vibe of it all with the fires, marshmallows, music and cushions. Impossible to get lost, very well marked route and great organisation, but I was genuinely terrified of breaking my ankle! It is a shame the T shirts didn't have something to commemorate the race instead of being just plain, but the head torches were excellent.”

“The worst course by far - Awful Awful Awful course! Not.visible, too dangerous and too few stations for such a dark enviroment”

“Well organized and fun! We had a great time! - The pre-race brief should've been by microphone it's the only way to ensure large groups get the information The trail (5K portion) was too rocky in most places and treacherous to navigate, especially at night. Many people around me experienced falls due to the trail surface unfortunately. There were some areas where running was possible, but many that weren't. It was more of a run/hike event. But still a beautiful venue.”

“First trail run - Very good introduction to my first night trail run. thanks to all involved in setting up this event. ”

“Fantastic Time for First Time Trail Runner - The event was challenging and for a first time trail runner it was full of thrills and surprisingly, no spills. It was a shame many could not hear the pre-race brief and as a suggestion, it may have been better to hold the pre-race brief closer to the start line and use the DJs microphone, just as it was used to start the race. The atmosphere was awesome and the post run BBQ and drink was a welcome way to recover. Aid stations were also good. I'm certainly keen to do more trail running now.”

“Overall Good Night Trail Race - My last night trail race was the Energizer Rebel Run two years ago and it was great to run a different trail this time. Overall, the event was good and I would run again. I was disappointed with the lack of timing and results; this was my first competition in UAE in the last 2.5 years where time was not recorded. I understand racing is about having fun and the experience, but comparing my results with competitive rivals is also important and provides motivation for future race improvement.”

“Tough race - My first night rail, and much tougher than expected. Nevertheless, the work of staff and organisers, the attention to detail in pre-race and after-race work made up for a great experience. Thanks to Urban Ultra, TNF and all the people involved in this great race. Congrats to all fellow runners! ”

“Great event. - Too many people right at the finish line, when I arrived I hardly could pass through the crowd. ”

“Simply Awesome! - Urban-Ultra you never fail to put us in a Dark, Rock-y Challenging Situation ”

“Amazingly rocking event - Nicely organised. beautiful trail. Just lacking the timing. i was in impression that someone at the finish line would take the timing manually. Thanks for a wonderful night in the wild.”

“Awesome evening! - Great course and enjoyable environment. BBQ and camp fires were a great addition. Many thanks!!”

“Something different and a great atmosphere - Great atmosphere, great course, great bedouin seating/eating area. Safety briefing could have done with use of a megaphone. Looking forward to the next one. ”

“Good Event - Something a little different! - Course was brutal on the ankles and legs. Very rocky and narrow in stages. Took a couple of falls as I imagine most runners did but all adds to the drama / challenge! As frustrating as it is to not be timed I think the organisers made the right call. Adding a competitive edge (Podiums / prizes) to this event would make it even more dangerous which is unnecessary Dont underestimate this one as its a challenge but lots of fun too. BBQ was an added bonus and the food was of a good standard”