Oman by UTMB®
Oman by UTMB® – OLD CAPITAL TRAIL
Nizwa → Birkat Almouz
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Old Capital Trail is the 32 km option at Oman by UTMB, a point-to-point line that starts in the historic heart of Nizwa and finishes in Birkat Almouz. Over its 32 kilometres it packs 1,301 m of vertical gain and tops out at 1,148 m, which makes it a genuinely mountainous short-course ultra rather than a rolling trail race despite the modest distance. What defines this route is the contrast between its old-town start on the plain and the rocky high ground it climbs into almost immediately. From Nizwa Downtown at 522 m the trail heads upward to the first big viewpoint before rippling through a series of villages and wadis on its way to the finish, rewarding runners who can climb steadily and move confidently over Omani mountain terrain.
The Course: Nizwa to Birkat Almouz
The Old Capital Trail runs 32 km from Nizwa Downtown (522 m) to Birkat Almouz (575 m), with just two checkpoints in between and a total of 1,301 m of ascent. After leaving Nizwa the course climbs hard to City View at 9.4 km and 1,073 m, then drops to Alrahba at 16.3 km and 607 m before rising again toward Misfat Alshiraqeen at 25.4 km and 746 m. From there it tips down through Tawi Sada at 28.2 km (616 m) to the finish line at Birkat Almouz. Because the route is point-to-point and threads between named villages such as Misfat Alshiraqeen and Tawi Sada, expect the footing to change character as you go: the exposed plain around Nizwa, the steep grades up to the high point near 1,148 m, and the terraced-village sections lower down. With aid and timing points spaced widely, this is a course where you carry what you need between Nizwa, Alrahba and the finish.
Where the Race Is Decided
The single most important effort on this course is the opening climb from Nizwa to City View: roughly 551 m of gain in the first 9.4 km, taking you from 522 m to 1,073 m near the day's high point of 1,148 m. This is where you either bank time or bury yourself, so treat it as a controlled climb rather than a race within a race, especially with the bulk of the distance still ahead. The second decisive stretch comes in the middle of the course. After the long descent to Alrahba at 607 m, the trail claws back up to Misfat Alshiraqeen at 746 m by 25.4 km, then throws in a final roll down through Tawi Sada (616 m) to Birkat Almouz. That late re-climb after a long descent is a classic leg-breaker: runners who overspent on the first ascent tend to lose the most time here, while patient runners reel places back in on the closing kilometres into the finish.
Pacing and Fuelling with the Cut-Offs
There are two hard time gates to respect. The intermediate cut-off is at Alrahba, 16.3 km, at Sat 11:30, and the finish at Birkat Almouz, 31.9 km, closes at Sat 15:00. That gives you a defined window to reach the halfway checkpoint and then to cover the second half, so plan your climbing pace so you arrive at Alrahba with comfortable margin rather than scraping the gate after the big first ascent. With checkpoints spaced far apart, self-sufficiency between them matters. Carry enough fluid and calories to get from the start over City View to Alrahba, and again from Alrahba across Misfat Alshiraqeen and Tawi Sada to the finish. Fuel steadily on the long first climb rather than waiting for the descent, and top up your reserves at Alrahba knowing the mid-course re-climb to Misfat Alshiraqeen still lies ahead before the drop into Birkat Almouz.
Conditions to Expect
This is an Omani mountain course that swings between low, exposed ground and rocky high terrain. The start at Nizwa sits at 522 m and the high point reaches 1,148 m, so you climb into cooler, more exposed elevations before returning toward the finish at 575 m in Birkat Almouz. With a Saturday-afternoon finish cut-off of 15:00, much of the running happens in the heat of the day, and the lower sections around Nizwa can be warm and dry. Prepare for strong sun and limited shade on the open climbs, and manage your hydration around the widely spaced checkpoints accordingly. The mix of village paths, wadi ground and steep rocky climbs rewards secure footing and careful line choice on the descents, particularly the long drop toward Alrahba and the final run-in from Tawi Sada to Birkat Almouz.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 522 m · —
9.4 km · 1073 m · —
16.3 km · 607 m · Sat 11:30
25.4 km · 746 m · —
28.2 km · 616 m · —
31.9 km · 575 m · Sat 15:00
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