By Don Rush

Historians think of Spartans as coming from the ancient Greek state of Sparta. As being fierce warriors who need little but do much. They were known for their training, endurance and smarts. Their story has been told for thousands of years. Two weekends ago nearly a thousand Spartans raced in Oxford. On July 16 and 17, the Spartan Races took place at Koenig Gravel on Lakeville Road. Among the racers was 16 year old Abdullah Ali, an incoming senior at Oxford High School.

“I’m so proud of him, he finished third in the 5 K race on Sunday,” his mom Ruqaya Ali said.

So, what is a Spartan Race?

Spartan Race, Wikipedia says, is a series of obstacle races of varying distance and difficulty ranging from 3 miles to marathon distances. They are held in the United States and have been franchised to 30 countries, including Canada, South Korea, Australia, and several European countries. According to the website, Race.spartan.com, the race is a “true test of your athleticism and mental fortitude . . . With mixed terrain, this course is designed to keep you guessing. The Sprint 5K and Super 10K distances are perfect for beginners or racers looking for a speedy finish, and the 20+ tested obstacles along the way will give your stamina that challenge it’s been craving.”

Each race has a number of obstacles racers must master.

“Abdullah ran the 10 K with 29 obstacles on Saturday,” Ruqaya said. “And a 5K with 20 obstacles on Sunday. The obstacles are physically demanding. Some examples are the Hercules Hoist where you hoist a 120 pound bag up by a rope, the barbed wire crawl, monkey bars, rope climb, spear throw, and multiple walls that must be climbed. If you fall/fail an obstacle, then you have to do 30 burpees (a combination push up and jumping jack) before you can go forward. You end the race by jumping over fire.”

According to Ruqaya, racers are divided by age. He raced in the 14-17 year old division, adding there were about 300 racers for the 10-K race and probably double that for Sunday.

Ruqaya said training for the Spartan Race and competing in it has been healing for her son.

“He was friends with Tate Myre, they went to elementary school together. It’s been a good distraction, not only for the healing, but to find some meaning after such a trauma as the tragedy on Nov. 30,” she said. “His training has helped refocus him, too.”

Tate was one of four students killed at the November shooting at Oxford High School.

Abdullah started training in January. He joined Grit Obstacle Training in Waterford and has been coached by Kurt Sabin. “He (Kurt) has been wonderful.”

Abdullah is a natural athlete, running both cross country and track for Oxford, he’s also a ski instructor at Pine Knob and is a mentor for the 42Strong organization. 42 Strong – the Tate Myre Foundation – seeks to make a difference in the lives to over 200 middle and high school students in Oxford. It’s a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

“When he was on the podium for the Spartan race he broke into a smile that was from ear to ear,” Ruqaya said. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him really smile since November. I’m so proud of him.”

The Ali family – father Esa and brothers Hamzah (a Junior at the University of Michigan) and Zubair (a 7^th grader at Oxford Middle School) – have lived in Oxford for 19 years.

“We love this community,” she said. “We love Oxford. Tragedy aside, we love the school district. We’re not leaving.”