I will be away from my computer for the next two weeks. This web site hasn't fallen over. It will be back with fresh Ultra info on my return after the 23rd April. If you have any ultra news or results, please send to pessam AT bigpond.net.au whilst Im away.
Phil
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Six-day Sahara Desert run
The Marathon des Sables is one of the world’s most brutal foot racing events, a six-day, 150-mile run through the Sahara Desert in southern Morocco!
Participants are required to be totally self-sufficient during the Marathon. They must carry a lightweight backpack with all the clothing, food and supplies they need for the week. Marathon organizers supply the participants with a meagre nine-litre ration of water for each day. At night, participants sleep on the ground in communal Berber tents.
The actual course of the race remains a secret until the day before the Marathon begins. Typically, it takes place in the stunningly beautiful desert to the east or south of the town of Ouarzazate. This arid terrain offers an ankle-wrenching variety of landscapes, including rocky hills, palm groves, dried mud flats and sand dunes. Daytime temperatures have been known to climb to a scorching 125 degrees and sandstorms are common.
Each day of the Marathon is an adventure unto its own, as each of the six “stages” ranges from 20 to 80 kilometres (12 to 50 miles) in length. An extensive road book is given to the competitors before the race begins. Stage Four is considered the most gruelling, a double marathon segment which begins long before sunrise. The racing is tightly monitored, with all participants required to check in at numerous “control points” along the way.
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