Sahara Race Gets Underway On Sunday

It's a big weekend for endurance sports it seems, as not only do we have the start of the Furnace Creek 508 tomorrow and the AR World Championships on Sunday, but Racing The Planet's Sahara Race gets underway as well. The week long ultramarathon will begin on Sunday in Egypt, where approximately 160 ultra-runners, from 36 different countries, will hit the trail.

The Sahara Race is the third race in the 4 Deserts challenge this year, with the first two taking part in the Gobi and Atacama Deserts. Racers will cover more than 155 miles in just seven days, while battling the extreme heat and dry conditions of the legendary Sahara, before crossing the finish line in the shadow of the Great Pyramids at Giza on Saturday, October 9th.

One of the highlights in this year's race is the location. The teams will be racing through the Valley of the Whales, a World Heritage Site that was once a vast, shallow ocean that is now the home to what is blieved to be the remains of hundreds of fossilized whales, with legs, that perished there 40 million years ago.

The race is spread out over six stages, most of which are roughly 25 miles in length. The fifth stage will be the most demanding, as it stretches out to 56 miles in length, with competitors running well into the night. Because this is a stage race, the cumulative times for the runners will be tabulated, with the runner with the least time claiming the overall victory.

For fans of endurance racing, this weekend will be loaded. Between cycling, long distance running, and adventure racing, there should be something to fill what ever need you have.

Marathon des Sables Begins Sunday

Competitors from around the globe are descending on Morocco where they are preparing to compete in what some call the most challenging footrace on the planet, the Marathon des Sables.

The race is a six day, 243km (151 mile) race that takes place annually in the Sahara Desert. Over those six days, the competitors will run the equivalent of five-and-a-half marathons, usually in very trying conditions. Temperatures often exceed 120ºF and the brutal sun only gives way to blowing sands that can make for extremely challenging conditions for the racers. As you can imagine, that heat and sand can play havoc with your feet as well, turing them into a blistered mess after just one day.

As if running a marathon under those conditions wasn't challenging enough, the competitors will also have to carry all of their gear (save their tent!) and water with them as they go. Each checkpoint will ration out more water for them, but other than that, they must be completely self sufficient while in the desert. This is especially important on the 4th day, which is usually the longest, and often stretches well into the night.

Now in its 24th year, the Marathon des Sables, or Marathon of the Sands, is considered one of the grand jewels of endurance sports. It is challenging on many levels, and attracts some of the top ultramarathon athletes from around the globe each year. 2010 will be no different, as dozens of runners are now assembling, and preparing to get underway in a few days time.

Good luck to all the racers. Enjoy the challenge and the scenery.

2009 Sahara Race is Underway!

I know this is a few days old, but I'm still trying to catch-up form my down time last week. Last Sunday, this year's edition of the Sahara Race got underway, with 130 competitors from 30 countries setting out across 250 km (155 miles) of some of the harshest conditions on the planet. The Sahara is the largest non-Polar desert on Earth, and it will test these racers, who will cross through three to four checkpoints each day, as they cover stages varying in length from 10-50 miles.

As of today, the race, we're through three stages of the six stage event. The overall leader at this point is 40 year old Tobias Frenz of Germany, who is followed by Christian Schiester of Austria, and Paolo Barghini of Italy in second and third respectively. The top female competitor is Erica Terblanche of South Africa, who is currently running in 12th place over all.

Over the next three days, the racers will face several more tough stages, including a grueling 87.6 km (54.4 mile) trek dubbed the Black Desert March, tomorrow. That one will likely run into Friday for a number of the competitors, but thankfully things get better on Saturday, when they'll finish up with a short run that completes the event by arriving at the finish line in the shadows of the Great Pyramids of Giza. What a way to end a race!

Having been to the Sahara and seen those Pyramids first hand, I can tell you that this has to be an incredible event for these runners. The desert is demanding on many levels, with an oppressive heat that I've never felt anywhere else on the planet. And if that wasn't challenging enough, think about all that sand getting into every part of your body. Yes, I said every part!!

As always, this is a great event, and is just one pillar of the 4 Deserts series. Good luck to all the competitors. Be safe out there!

Mad Way South - Kiting Across the Sahara Expedition Finished!

Way back at the end of July I posted about the Mad Way South expedition, which consisted of four men, two New Zealanders and two Aussies, who were setting out to kite across the Sahara Desert. They were departing from Morocco and had their eyes on finishing in Senegal.

Turns out the boys made it. They finished up their journey earlier in the month, although judging from their blog posts, it wasn't an easy go, especially near the end. Their original intention was to go all the way to Dakar, but they elected to finish up at the Senegal River, which marks the border between that country and Mauritania. By the time they reached that point, the winds had shifted to the south, and the were not going to be able to kite to their intended finish line.

Still, the team managed to complete a number of major goals along the way, and set two world's records. Not only did they become the first to cross the Sahara by kite buggy, they also completed the longest kite buggy journey ever, covering 1342 miles in just 26 days. They also happened to raise more than AUD $40,000 for charity while on their adventure as well.

Congrats to the entire crew for a job well done. This wasn't accomplished just by the four men on the buggies, but a great support team that helped out along the way as well. Everyone involved helped to demonstrate that wind power is a viable way to travel and that sustainable adventures can help raise awareness about environmental issues.

Mad Way South - Kiting Across the Sahara!

Here's a cool story that I found over at the Adventure World Magazine website. It's about four guys, two from New Zealand, two from Australia, who are planning on racing across the Sahara Desert using sand buggies pulled along by kites.

The expedition is called Mad Way South, and it is scheduled to get underway on August 3rd from Northern Morocco and continue through Western Sahara, Mauritania, and finally ending in Dakar, Senegal.. The four kiters, Geoff Wilson, Steve Gurney and Craig Hansen, will be crossing more than 1550 miles of open desert, in their attempt to become the first people to make the journey completely by wind power.

Once they get underway next week, you'll be able to follow along online as they update their blog throughout the journey. You'll also learn more about the team, their sponsors, and more.

As of the last update, the entire team had gathered in London, and were preparing to depart for Morocco. They were finalizing the packing of their gear and anticipating being on the sand next Monday, when the journey officially begins.

The 2008 Sahara Race is Underway

The 2008 Sahara Race, part of the 4 Deserts series of ultramarathons, got underway over the weekend, with two stages already in the books. More than 150 racers from 30 countries, have descended on Cairo, where they will spend seven grueling days in the desert, racing through one of the hottest environments on Earth.

You can find results from the first two stages by clicking here. Stage 1 was 35 km (22 miles) in length, and wound it's way through giant rock formations, forcing the runners to use careful navigation throughout the day. Stage 2 took place in the beautiful White Desert and covered a distance of 41.8 km (26 miles). After these two stages, runner Ryan Sandes of South Africa leads the way, with Paolo Barghini of Italy in second, and ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes of the U.S. in third. Karnazes is attempting to become the first man to complete the 4 Deserts and the Badwater in the same year. German Nina Breith is the top female competitor, currently in 4th place overall.

The race will continue over the the next few days with the fifth stage, dubbed The Black Desert March, covering 92.6 km (57.5 miles) on Friday. Saturday will see the racers running home, with a short 10 km (6 mile) run to the finish line. Amongst the competitors this year, for the first time, is a team from Egypt, who are proudly carrying the flag for the host country.

Good luck to all the runners. Be safe in the Sahara heat.

Sahara Race: Stage 3

Today was Stage 3 of the Sahara Race ultramarathon, and competitors faced 38km slog through the heat of the Egyptian desert. It was a day marked with high winds, and blowing stand on the course, followed by a sandstorm at basecamp to top everything off. In the end, Jimmi Olsen of Denmark won the stage but Francesco Galanzino of Italy holds the overall lead for the race.

Sahara Race: Two Days In

As I noted last week, the Sahara Racegot underway yesterday with a a grueling 30+km run through the Western Desert, followed up today with a 31+km second stage. Both of these early stages were very hot, and today's stage reportedly offered little breeze to help cool competitors down. There were several reports of severe dehydration and heat exhaustion. Currently the Live Leaderboard isn't displaying any information on who the overall leader is, but Johann Boost of the U.K. one the first stage, while Byeung Sik Ahn of South Korea has taken the second stage.

The Sahara race is the fourth of a series of ultramarathons run in stages throught some of the harshests deserts on Earth. Besides the Sahara, competitors in these events have run through the Gobi, Atacama, and Antarctic deserts as part of the Four Deserts Marathons.

Sahara Race Begins Sunday

It's time for another one of those epic, and gruelling, stage race ultramarathons through some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Once again RacingThePlanet.com, is sponsoring this event as part of their Four Deserts Ultramarathon series, with the Sahara Desert taking over hosting duties this time out. The Sahara is the largest non-polar desert in the world, and the competitors, who hale from more than 17 countries, will have to endure hot and dry conditions. The event will take place over six days and various distance. The longest day will be more than 77km in length (48 miles), and the shortest, is the final day, which is only 10km in length, but competitors will cross the finish line in the shadow of the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx itself. I can't think of a better way to finish up a race like this one. Just be sure to stop into the Kentucky Fried Chicken that is no more than a stones throw away from the Sphinx. Oh, and mind the heat. One of the days that I was in the Sahara was over 135 degrees F.

Edit: Hey! This is my 500th Post! I didn't know if I'd ever get to that milestone. Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, and sends along helpful comments. It is greatly appreciated.