For those who are desperate to still get in for MdS 2010, Facing Africa ( a registered charity in the UK) has recently been allocated 25 more places.
Far details on how to apply for one of these places, go to the web site www.facingafrica.org (then click on Marathon des sables).
Admin Day
I’d arrived the day before and had the whole day to chill, I checked my kit and generally just waited. We had the full briefings and introductions to the admin team and some local cuisine (out of a tin) not my thing but hey each to their own!
Day 1 – 41km
Typically and maybe a bad omen for the week, as we all left the relative comfort and dryness of our tents the rain started. This was the start of what was going to be a very wet week.
Most athletes know about the dangers of dehydration, especially when working hard in a hot climate but drinking just pure water can also cause serious problems. There is a potentially life threatening condition called hyponatremia which can pose a serious threat to runners competing and training out here for the longer events.
Marathon des Sables and Similar Events.
Personal Opinions and Thoughts.
This information is aimed at competitors who live in Northern Europe/UK where it is unlikely to be hot and dry, even in summer. The MdS is promoted in March/April so the majority of you will be going into it from a wet, cold winter which makes competing in such a hostile desert environment, doubly difficult.
The idea for the Marathon des Sables was conceived by French photographer, Patrick Bauer back in 1984 (coincidently the same year I did a Sahara crossing) and first ‘run’ in 1986 using basically the same format used today. It was marketed as the World’s Toughest Footrace and 20 odd years later it is still up there with the toughest races on the planet, although now there are many more which could also claim this description.
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