Game on: ITP Media Group will double down on sports in 2026

There is great entertainment value in sport: from the thrill of competitive contests between people at the peak of their game, to the adrenaline-fuelled rollercoaster that comes with following your team or athlete, to feeling part of collective experiences that connect and uplift us. But more than that, engaging in purposeful physical activity has always felt to me like one of the simplest ways for us as human beings to feel good: to improve our wellbeing and grow in confidence and resilience.

This is why exercise and health have been woven into the DNA of ITP Media Group from the start – and today represent a major area of investment for the future.

As a company, we have long prioritised a wide variety of wellness-related initiatives in our annual corporate agenda: from fitness routines for busy professionals, to step challenges, yoga, run clubs, and Spartan workouts, to onsite wellbeing check-ups and workshops on lung health, diabetes prevention, and much more.

Today, the biggest indicator of the importance we place on wellness and physical activity is ITP Sport, the newest division of ITP Media Group.

Established towards the end of 2024, grown from the seed of an idea we’d initially discussed years ago, this is the first major step in a strategic commitment to make sport a core part of our business. This move represents a real diversification of our media corporation, but one that fits perfectly 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 driving force behind some of the most dynamic adventure and endurance events in the Middle East, holding the official rights for the Spartan Race, the world’s largest obstacle course race series; Tough Mudder, a teams-based mud and obstacle challenge focused on camaraderie over competition; and DEKA, a functional fitness race series designed for all levels of physical prowess. These international brands are spearheading the global movement in hardcore obstacle courses and fitness challenges designed to test participants’ strength, speed, and mental grit.

ITP Sport brings these ultra-endurance races and workouts to old and new participants in the Middle East, enriching our sporting landscape. Each of these events are truly remarkable experiences, with great value added to the individuals and communities involved.

Personally, I went to the gym for the first time in my late teens and I have never stopped since. Running short and long distances were next in my exercise routine followed by obstacle races that quickly became a passion of mine. I love the challenge, and even the suffering, that comes with endurance events at this level, and the freedom it offers when there is nothing else around you and you are dealing with the elements, whether in the mountains of Fujairah or the Liwa desert.

The millions of people worldwide who participate in these challenges bear testament to their power to create positive impact, changing lives and shaping healthier futures for many, often exceeding their wildest dreams.

And this is why, at its heart, ITP Sport is not just a passion project but also a good business opportunity.

Sport appeals to key aspects of our human nature, and by extension sporting communities are often vibrant, contagiously enthusiastic, and deeply invested, all of which generally adds up to a smart, profitable business to be in.

It is also good business in the much broader sense of the word: it is a way of doing good, and of generating positive ripple effects well beyond our usual spheres of activity.

Through our Spartan and Tough Mudder activities, we’re gearing up for a big focus on kids’ races. This is an area in which we are determined to excel, and which feels especially important and worthwhile in today’s screen-filled, AI-infused world.

Through ITP Sport, we want to give young people in the region more compelling reasons and opportunities to get outdoors and do something challenging and fun at the same time.

More than ever, it is crucial to engage in activities which remind us of what a privilege it is to have an animal body capable of doing amazing physical things. Young people need this, as both an antidote and a healthy complement to many hours spent in high-tech, often sedentary pursuits.

In the face of all the rhetoric and unanswered questions about AI, and all the ways in which it might serve and change life in the future, for better or worse, it is also worth reminding ourselves of what defines us as humans, and of the power of our own human intelligence: not least of which is the human ability to overcome the greatest challenges. One of the reasons we’ve kicked off ITP Sport investing in obstacle course racing and ultra-endurance workouts is precisely because they are tough. Taking on such arduous challenges helps our bodies to physiologically reset our resistance for stress, so that, eventually, we don’t sweat the small stuff. This ‘obstacle immunity’ helps us also to overcome the bigger, unforeseen twists and turns of life without becoming excessively stressed: to avoid the fight-or-flight response, remain calm, think clearly, and respond from a place of innate resilience, readiness, and strength.

Ultimately, we want to use the power of ITP Sport and our associated sport brands to help people, young and old, to reach towards and ultimately live much healthier, more fulfilled lives, and to do so from a place of calm and strength. Committing to total fitness and healthy lifestyles improves our chances of success in all parts of life.

As I write this, the ninth annual Dubai Fitness Challenge (DFC), encouraging and supporting residents to commit to 30 minutes of daily activity for 30 days, has recently ended. Championed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, the initiative engages the public in a citywide fitness celebration, featuring numerous free events and activities, supported by a wealth of freely accessible guidance and advice (such as a 30×30 Recipe Initiative to Fuel a Healthier City), not to mention great facilities. All of this enables a wider culture shift, with companies and employees such as ours supporting and promoting the DFC in every way we can.

Because individually and collectively, we can only benefit from strengthening our bodies and minds in the ways that physical activity and healthy lifestyles are uniquely positioned to achieve.

With ITP Sport, we are excited to be supporting and building 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 a one-off event, but just over a decade later, we are back with 7 races under our belt in 2025. We’ve already learned many lessons from the division’s first year: like most new endeavours, we’ve encountered our share of challenging terrain, but we have succeeded in forging our reputation as the region’s leading adventure sport platform. With a team of dedicated professionals, now armed with a wealth of knowledge for the course ahead, 2026 is going to be a record-setting year for ITP Sport.