The Marathon Des Sables is considered by many to be one of the hardest races in the world. The race takes place over 245 km of rock sand and dunes across the blistering Sahara Desert.
Organized by Frenchman Patrick Bauer, the race is now in its 24th year. Designed to test endurance and willpower to the limits, participants run 6 marathons in 6 days through demanding and unforgiving terrain while carrying a 20-40lb pack on their back.
Although the race is remarkably well supervised there have been fatalities... Dehydration and heatstroke are common, and blister ravaged feet derail the hopes of many competitors every year. A few years back one participant actually got lost during a sandstorm and managed to survive for 5 days before being rescued by drinking his own urine…
The race attracts a diverse cross section of competitors ranging from the elite ultra endurance athletes and Special Forces types to accountants and soccer moms. And as it turns out this next race will include a slightly overweight elementary school teacher from Vancouver’s North shore. This blog will chronicle my training preparation and ultimate participation in the upcoming 2009 event.
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