There is great entertainment value in sports: from the joy of competitive matches between people at the top of their game, to the rollercoaster full of adrenaline that comes with following your team or athlete, to feel part of a group of things that unite and lift us up. But more than that, meaningful exercise has always felt to me as one of the easiest ways for us as humans to feel good: to improve our well-being and grow in self-confidence and resilience.
That is why exercise and health have been integrated into the DNA of the ITP Media Group from the beginning – and today it represents a great place to invest in the future.
As a company, we have long prioritized a variety of wellness-related programs on our annual business agenda: from fitness programs for busy professionals, pedaling challenges, yoga, running clubs, and Spartan workouts, to health screenings and workshops on lung health, diabetes prevention, and much more.
Today, the biggest indicator of the importance we place on good health and exercise is ITP Sport, a new division of the ITP Media Group.
Established in late 2024, growing from the seed of an idea we discussed earlier years ago, this is the first major step in our strategic commitment to make sports a central part of our business. This initiative represents a true diversification of our media organization, but one that is perfectly aligned with what ITP Media Group excels at – creating and facilitating opportunities for people and brands to connect, thrive, and push boundaries.
ITP Sport is now the promoter of some of the most dynamic and endurance events in the Middle East, holding the official rights to the Spartan Race, the largest race series in the world; Tough Mudder, a team-based mud and obstacle challenge that focuses on camaraderie over competition; and DEKA, an active fitness racing series designed for all levels of physical activity. These international brands lead the global movement in extreme obstacle courses and fitness challenges designed to test participants’ strength, speed, and mental agility.
ITP Sport brings these endurance races and extreme workouts to participants young and old in the Middle East, enriching our sporting landscape. Each of these events is a truly remarkable experience, with great benefits for the individuals and communities involved.
Personally, I went to the gym for the first time in my mid-teens and haven’t stopped since. Running short and long distances was next in my exercise routine followed by obstacle races which quickly became a favorite of mine. I love the challenge, even the suffering, that comes with endurance events at this level, and the freedom it provides when there is nothing else around and you are facing the elements, whether it is in the mountains of Fujairah or in the desert of Liwa.
The millions of people around the world who participate in these challenges are a testament to their power to create positive impact, transform lives and shape healthy futures for many, often beyond their wildest dreams.
And that’s why, at its heart, ITP Sport is not only a passion project but also a great business opportunity.
Sports appeal to core aspects of our personality, and by extension sports communities tend to be passionate, contagious, and deeply invested, all of which add up to a smart, profitable business to be in.
It’s good business and in the broadest sense of the word: it’s a way to do good, and to generate positive ripple effects beyond our normal fields of work.
With our Spartan and Tough Mudder activities, we are gearing up to focus more on kids’ races. This is an area we are committed to excelling in, and one that feels relevant and important in today’s screen-filled, AI-infused world.
Through ITP Sport, we want to give young people in the region strong reasons and opportunities to go out and do something challenging and fun at the same time.
More than ever, it’s important to do things that remind us what a privilege it is to have an animal body that can do amazing physical things. Young people need this, as an antidote and a healthy supplement to the many hours spent on advanced technology, often pursuing idleness.
In the face of all the unanswered and unanswered questions about AI, and all the ways it might work and change life in the future, for better or worse, we should also remind ourselves of what defines us as peopleand the power of our human ingenuity: at least the human power to overcome the greatest challenges. One of the reasons we started investing in ITP Sport in obstacle races and high intensity workouts is because they are tough. Facing such difficult challenges helps our bodies recover from stress, so that, in the end, we don’t sweat the small stuff. This ‘barrier immunity’ also helps us to overcome the big, unexpected fluctuations and changes of life without excessive stress: avoid the fight or flight response, stay calm, think clearly, and react from the birth place of resilience, readiness, and strength.
Ultimately, we want to use the power of ITP Sport and its associated sports to help people, young and old, achieve and ultimately live healthy, fulfilling lives, and do so from a place of calm and energy. A commitment to overall fitness and healthy lifestyles improves our chances of success in all areas of life.
As I write this, the ninth annual Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC), which encourages and supports residents to commit to 30 minutes of daily exercise for 30 days, has just ended. Promoted by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, this initiative engages the community in a city-wide celebration of fitness, which includes many free events and activities, supported by a wealth of freely available guidance and advice (such as the 30 × 30 Recipe Initiative for Infusing a Healthy City), not to mention great resources. All of this creates a wider cultural shift, with companies and workers like ours supporting and promoting DFC in every way we can.
Because as individuals and collectively, we can only benefit from strengthening our bodies and minds in ways that exercise and healthy lifestyles are uniquely positioned to achieve.
With ITP Sport, we are very happy to support and build that movement in our region. Back in 2014, ITP Media Group organized the first ever obstacle race in the UAE, URBANATHLON, at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. That was one event, but just over a decade later, we’re back with 7 races under our belt in 2025. We have learned many lessons in the first year of this unit: like many new ventures, we have encountered our share of challenging terrain, but we have succeeded in building our reputation as the best field trip in the region. With a team of dedicated professionals, now armed with a wealth of knowledge for the upcoming course, 2026 will be a record-breaking year for ITP Sport.
