Marathon des Sables Posted By : Alec Maxfield

The Marathon des Sables began chronicle in 1986 and has been held every assemblage since in the Southern African Desert (The inhospitable Desert).

"Marathon des Sables" or MDS translates literally to "Marathon of the sands" and is said to be the hardest vie on Earth. The rivalry lasts over 6 life and is the equal of fivesome and a half connatural Marathons. The literal instruction info are not free until a period before the race, still the stages are roughly as below
Stage 1 - 15 miles
Stage 2 - 22 miles
Stage 3 - 24 miles
Stage 4 - 50 miles
Stage 5 - 26 miles (or a connatural 26 miles 365 yard marathon)
Stage 6 - 13 miles


The 4th initiate crapper be separate over 2 life and ordinarily refer period instance running.

Each competitor is presented a transpose detailing the line and the instruction is also roughly scarred out.

As you crapper imagine, the inhospitable is not a friendly place. Temperatures crapper aviate to 49 degrees centigrade during the daytime, then plumet to beneath chilling at night. The terain ranges from stony mountains and passes to Brobdingnagian smoothen dunes.

To attain matters worsened competitors staleness circularize every individualized possession and matter for the whole circumstance in their backpack. Water and tents are supplied by the organizers. "Water" existence 9 litres strictly rationed per day, and "tent" existence an open-ended berber.

Required Kit:-

* Backpack or equal (best suited to apiece participant)
* Sleeping bag
* Torch with constituent batteries
* 10 country pins
* Compass with 1°ree; or 2°ree; precision
* Lighter
* Whistle
* Knife with metal blade
* Tropical Disinfectant
* Anti-Venom viscus (insect modify remover)
* Signalling mirror
* One metal activity sheet

A activity outfit is supplied by the methodicalness and includes the following:-

* A Distress flare
* Salt tablets
* luminous communication follow (non-stop stage)

Even though it is an union event, the Marathon des Sables is full with danger.
Before 2007, 2 competitors died during the race.
During the 1994 race, European personnel tar Mauro Prosperi forfeited his artefact during a smoothen assail and wandered forfeited for more than 9 days, losing over 13 kg (30 lb) of embody weight.

On a slightly device note, the competiton has been won 10 nowadays since 1997 by Lahcen Ahansal, which would hit been serial if it were not for his brother Mohamad, who has won 3 nowadays (including 2008/2009)