Marathon of the Sands

August 14, 2009
Filed under Running

The 24th Marathon des Sables or Marathon of the Sands took place recently. The grueling six-day foot race across the Moroccan Sahara is one of the toughest in the world. The race covers 151 miles but was shortened this year because of bad weather. Many participants give up before reaching the finish line because of the rugged terrain that ranges from sandy to rocky. The daily average temperatures during the race are 86 degrees. Competitors run as far as 50 miles a day and are required to carry their own water and food. Water is rationed and handed out at checkpoints.

A long file of competitors take the start of the 24th Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, on March 30, 2009 climbing the first dunes of Merzouga, some 300 kilometres south of Ouarzazate in Morocco, a day late due to heavy rain last week. The first stage was cancelled and the route modified. AFP/Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

A competitor climbs a dune, during the third stage of the 24rd Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate, on April 1, 2009. The Desert Marathon is considered as the hardest in the world. Participants have to walk along more than 200 km during 7 days in the Sahara, Southern Morocco. 812 competitors are due to take part in the race. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

Competitors are pictured one kilometer after the start on the fourth and last stage, 42 kms long, of the 24rd "Marathon des Sables" in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate. 812 participants had to walk all along 200 Kms during five days. Because of bad weather conditions, the race organisation decided to cancel the first and the last stages and to modify everyday the road book. The Marathon des Sables is considered to be the toughest foot race in the world, covering a distance equivalent to six marathons over normaly six days and half, through the southern Moroccan desert. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

Competitors are pictured in the 24th Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, on March 30, climbing the first dunes of Merzouga, some 300 kilometers south of Ouarzazate in Morocco, a day late due to heavy rain last week. The first stage was cancelled and the route modified. 812 competitors are due to take part in the race. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

A competitor is accompanied by children a few moments after the start of 24th Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, on March 30, as he climbs the first dunes of Merzouga, some 300 kilometers south of Ouarzazate in Morocco, a day late due to heavy rain last week. The first stage was cancelled and the route modified. 812 competitors are due to take part in the race. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

One of the 812 competitors of the 24rd Marathon des Sables is pictured during the second stage in the Sahara desert, in Erg Znaigi, on March 31, 2009. Competitors must carry all their equipement on their backs. Only a carefully rationed nine litres of water and open-sided local tents are provided daily by the organisers. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

A competitor runs during the third stage of the 24rd Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate, on April 1, 2009. The Desert Marathon is considered as the hardest in the world. Participants have to walk along more than 200 km during 7 days in the Sahara, Southern Morocco. 812 competitors are due to take part in the race. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

British William Davies runs some 20 kms before the finish line, on March 3, 2009, during the fourth stage, 42 kms long, of the 24rd "Marathon des Sables" in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate. 812 participants had to walk all along 200 Kms during 5 days. Because of bad weather conditions, the race organisation decided to cancel the first and the last stages and to modify everyday the road book. The Marathon des Sables is considered to be the toughest foot race in the world, covering a distance equivalent to six marathons over normaly six days and half, through the southern Moroccan desert. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

Slovak competitor Anton Vencelj runs down a stony path on 3 march 2009, during the fourth stage, 42 kms long, of the 24rd "Marathon des Sables" in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate. 812 participants had to walk all along 200 Kms during 5 days. Because of bad weather conditions, the race organisation decided to cancel the first and the last stages and to modify everyday the road book. The Marathon des Sables is considered to be the toughest foot race in the world, covering a distance equivalent to six marathons over normaly six days and half, through the southern Moroccan desert. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

Competitors react as they start on 3 march 2009, the fourth and last stage, 42 kms long, of the 24rd "Marathon des Sables" in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate. 812 participants had to walk all along 200 Kms during 5 days. Because of bad weather conditions, the race organisation decided to cancel the first and the last stages and to modify everyday the road book. The Marathon des Sables is considered to be the toughest foot race in the world, covering a distance equivalent to six marathons over normaly six days and half, through the southern Moroccan desert. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

Some of the 812 competitors of the 24rd Marathon des Sables take the start of the third stage in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometers, south of Ouarzazate, on April 1, 2009. This is the departure of a tow days and one night 90 Kms stage, in a race of 3 other days of varying length and terrain. Competitors must carry all their equipement on their backs. Only a carefully rationed nine litres of water and open-sided local tents are provided daily by the organisers. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

One day before competitors take the start of the 24th Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert, some 300 kilometres south of Ouarzazate, a French runner waits in the flooded camp, after 24 hours of torrential rain. The race started a day late because of the rain, and the route was modified. AFP / Getty Images / Pierre Verdy

Click here to like this post.

Unlike

Tags: Extreme Marathons, food, Getty Images, Ouarzazate, Pierre Verdy, Sahara, Sahara desert

The 7 Ultimate Achievements In Endurance Running

August 2, 2009
Filed under Running

1 Comment

By: Shane

Below are brief descriptions of some of the greatest accomplishments in endurance running. Even if you’ve never run a mile in your life you have to respect these athletes for their achievements.

running across sahara The 7 Ultimate Achievements In Endurance Running 1 – Three men ran 4,000 miles across the Sahara desert in 111 days. Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab, and Kevin Lin ran the equivalent of two marathons a day for 100 days to become the first modern runners to cross the Sahara Desert’s grueling 4,000 miles. They were stricken with tendinitis, severe diarrhea, and knee injuries all while running through the intense heat and wind, often without a paved road in sight. Temperatures varied from over 100°F during the day to below freezing at night. Typical day: up at 4:00am, run until lunch, eat, run until 9:30pm. Then get up and do it again… for 111 days.

2 - Xu Zhenjun ran a 3:43 marathon – backwards. In a world where 99% of people never finish a marathon in their lifetimes and of those who do, 90% don’t run under 4 hours, Xu Zhenjun of China managed both, in reverse. I thought Zhenjun was a rare person who ran backwards for fun, but it turns out there are a bunch of people who prefer to run backwards. Timothy "Bud" Badyna, the father of backwards running (pictured right), has also completed a sub-4 marathon backwards and a 10K in 45:37.

mile every day The 7 Ultimate Achievements In Endurance Running 3 – Mark Covert has run at least one mile every day since July 23, 1968. In the decades since he started the streak, Covert has covered more than 136,000 miles. At his competitive peak, he ran more than 150 miles a week and was one of the top road racers in the country, finishing seventh in the 1972 Olympic trials marathon. He still averages eight miles a day. Sure, on some days his running may only consist of 9 or 10 minutes, but did you read how long? Since 1968. Covert has said:

"I’ve trained through illness and injury, run plenty of times when I shouldn’t have. I ran on the days my parents passed away and I’ve run when every one of my four kids was born. I still look forward to running every day, although the trees go by more slowly now."

Covert is now the Cross Country Coach for Antelope Valley College (he knows a little about running). I guarantee his runners have trouble finding excuses to miss practice.

continents 7 marathons The 7 Ultimate Achievements In Endurance Running 4 – 7 Days, 7 Continents, 7 Marathons. Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Dr. Michael Stroud went seven for seven during a grueling week of marathon running and transcontinental travel. The pair ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents from October 26 – November 2, 2003. The men ran in Chile, the Falkland Islands, Sydney, Singapore, London, and Cairo before completing their marathon of marathons by running the New York City Marathon. Besides battling the exhaustion that any marathon runner faces, Fiennes and Stround also had to battle jet lag and dramatic changes in temperature and humidity during each race. The feat was especially impressive for Fiennes, who suffered a heart attack just four months earlier.

haile world record The 7 Ultimate Achievements In Endurance Running 5 – Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie’s marathon world record. Haile Gebrselassie ran a marathon in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 36 seconds in 2007, crushing the old world record by nearly 30 seconds. These days marathon winners are consistently throwing down times like 2 hours and 6 minutes. It’s so common, I think we have forgotten exactly how fast it is. That is keeping a 4 minute, 48 second-per-mile pace for 26.2 straight miles! For a non-runner, it may be difficult to comprehend just how remarkable this feat is. Very few people in the world can even keep that pace for 1 mile.

badwater runners The 7 Ultimate Achievements In Endurance Running 6 – Finishing Badwater (anyone). Plain and simple, Badwater is the toughest endurance run in the word. Each year, approximately 70 people attempt to run 135 miles from Bad Water, Death Valley to the portals of Mt. Whitney. In case you’re not familiar with Badwater or Mt. Whitney, Badwater is the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere and Mt. Whitney is the highest point in the contiguous United States. Basically you’re running from the lowest place in the U.S. to the highest. In addition to the 13,000 feet worth of ascent, there are the 130°F (55°C) temperatures to deal with. Participants are forced to run on the white lines on the side of the road to keep the soles of their shoes from melting and a heat suit to keep them from frying in the sun. The winner from the last two years has finished in the 24-25 hour range but the average finish time is in the 35 hour range. My first question was "How in the world does someone train for this type of event?" Luckily for me they have a training guide on the Badwater homepage. Here are a few examples of training recommendations I picked off the site:

(1) – HEAT is the main nemesis, acclimate your body NOW!! Start using a sauna on your EXPOSED body. Do not wear any protective clothing.

(2) – ENDURANCE is very slow to develop. Set a target of being able to WALK, ONLY, at 20-30 minute per mile pace, NON STOP (NO SLEEP) for 24-30 hours. Do not exceed this pace, nor train in this way more than once a week.

dean karnazes The 7 Ultimate Achievements In Endurance Running 7 – Dean Karnaze ran 350 miles non-stop. "The Relay" is a 200-mile, 12 person relay race. Not only did Dean Karnaze run this race by himself, he ran an extra 150 miles from his home to the starting point. Karnaze ran 80 hours straight and burned an estimated 40,000 Calories to cover the 350 miles. I couldn’t even stay away that long, yet he kept a good pace the whole way. Karnaze has also has finished the Western 100 ten times, the Badwater four times, and most recently he ran 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days in all 50 United States.