The 28th Marathon des Sables
April 5th - 15th 2013
Tent 125 - 250km in 7 days
More info on the race HERE
VIDEOS
Everything was shot on an early version of the GoPro with no screen on the back, so I couldn’t see what I was shooting. I had to carry loads of batteries as well. I’m so glad I persevered as these videos are great to look back on now.
Full race highlights - there were many!
Each stage was a mass start with ACDC’s Highway to Hell blaring out and hopes of makingh it to the finish line in one peice!
Once in the desert and before the race starts there is all sorts of admin to get through. They take your excess kit, give you a safety flare, give you one more meal and then you are on your own.
Tent life - we spent most of our time in our 8 person Berber ‘tent’. Unbelievably hot in the day, ridiculously cold at night. Very basic but we more than made the most of it.
Pre-stage tent interviews. We were right in the thick of the race at this point.
Runnin - lots of running. It got up to about 48 degrees and we ran on sand, rock, sandy sandy, rocky sand, sandy rock, rocky rock and many other terrains.
PHOTOS
Pretty much everything was shot on a great little bomb-proof Fuji compact digital camera. We weren’t allowed phones and the cameras on them were rubbish in those days anyway. There are some professional shots that I/we purchased, including the one below.
You can download all these photos HERE.
Everything I carried for the entire race, including all food, fitting in that little rucksack. It weighed 12kg at the start of the race and was about 6kg at the end once all the food had gone!
From left to right: Warren, Tom, Andrew (Chis) and me.
Tent 125 and our home for the next week or so. Tom, Me, Chis, Bakester, Debs, Gary, Warren and Simon.
The last meal provided by the organisers the evening before the race started. Managed to have something nutty and had a huge anaphylactic reaction that night. No sleep, vomiting and the shits meant for an interesting first stage of the race.
All participants gathered each morning prior to the mass start of each stage to the tune of ACDC's Highway To Hell blaring out from huge speakers. That song still gives me goosebumps.
Some people got terrible blisters and much of the morning and evening was spent getting things sorted. I was lucky; I didn't get a single blister. Others, like Chis, not so much. Made an already hard race even harder.
There was a rudimentary web cam at the end of each stage which we could stand in front of and hold up messages for the friends and family back home. Mainly proof of life though, I think!
A cup of sweet mint tea at the end of the long double marathon stage. I was trying to complete this in under 12 hours and came in with 10 minutes to spare. Hardest thing I have ever done but that tea tasted GOOD!
During the day after the long stage, a horn sounds which is the signal for all competitors to gather in the centre of the camp. Annoying as it was always some pointless admin. Not today! Everyone was given an ice cold can of Coke! I can safely say it was the best thing I have ever tasted and a lovely human touch in the thick of a gruelling race. I have also never been that skinny, before or since!
Friends and family could email each runner messages that would be delivered to use 24 hours later. Best post i have ever received. Just incredible to know how many people were cheering us on back home. These messages made all the difference.
The finish line with Patrick Bauer who came up with the ides for the MDS and has been running is ever since. He hands out all the medals at the end. Set the GoPro to photo burst mode and hoped for the best. Nailed it!
The finish line. Incredibly emotional and relieved to have finished and be in one piece. Great friends before the race, friends for life afterwards.
I sat under this palm tree ALL DAY at the hotel in Ouarzazate where the English competitors stayed to decompress for a couple of nights. Two things stick out that day. Firstly, only people without open wounds on their feet were allowed in the pool and I was one of 4! Secondly, I ate several pizzas and only drank beer. It was heaven.
A surprise welcoming party at the airport. The terminal was full of scenes like this. 🥰