Soldato
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin......
Well some 16 months ago I paid my £500 deposit and my preparation for the 21st
Marathon Des Sables (MDS) began. The time has flown by and its now all over but the memory of this event will live with me forever.
All in all it has probably cost me about £4500 including the £2300 entry fee, kit and other associated costs along the way. I have also used my participation to raise money for two charities Cancer Research UK and TyHafan Children’s Hospice in Wales and to date have managed to raise about £1600. It’s not too late to sponsor me
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So on April the 6th I found myself onboard a chartered flight to Morocco with 200+ British competitors bound for the 2006 Marathon Des Sables. Landing in Quarzazate mid afternoon with temps in the mid twenties we all boarded the coaches bound for the 5* Hotel in which we would spend one evening before heading out to the desert. Last chance to carbo-load at the extensive buffet and grab a few beers followed by an early night. During the evening a group of eight of us got together and decided to share a tent – couldn’t have asked for a better group to share a tent with as it turned out.
Outside Hotel:
One of many 'relief' stops:
Well some 16 months ago I paid my £500 deposit and my preparation for the 21st
Marathon Des Sables (MDS) began. The time has flown by and its now all over but the memory of this event will live with me forever.
All in all it has probably cost me about £4500 including the £2300 entry fee, kit and other associated costs along the way. I have also used my participation to raise money for two charities Cancer Research UK and TyHafan Children’s Hospice in Wales and to date have managed to raise about £1600. It’s not too late to sponsor me
.So on April the 6th I found myself onboard a chartered flight to Morocco with 200+ British competitors bound for the 2006 Marathon Des Sables. Landing in Quarzazate mid afternoon with temps in the mid twenties we all boarded the coaches bound for the 5* Hotel in which we would spend one evening before heading out to the desert. Last chance to carbo-load at the extensive buffet and grab a few beers followed by an early night. During the evening a group of eight of us got together and decided to share a tent – couldn’t have asked for a better group to share a tent with as it turned out.
Outside Hotel:
One of many 'relief' stops:
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so I’ll forgive him. So after what seemed like hours of speeches hands are shook and wishes of good luck are made – ACDC then roars over the PA, everybody’s hands are raised clapping and a minute later we were off. The elite runners sped off into the distance as I slowed to a walk after the first few hundred yards. It had always been my plan to walk the first day in order to better acclimatise myself for the wek ahead.
. I met up with a few other members of the tent at checkpoint 2 and we decided to stick together for the duration. Time seemed to go quickly. We had the usual afternoon sand storm, with temperatures reaching 39°C and a humidity of 13%. As the sun started to drop and things began to cool down, relatively speaking, morale was high and we fast walked through to checkpoint 5 arriving in the early evening guided in by a laser . From here there were two more checkpoints spanning a distance of about 13.5km. After a rest and some food and surviving a camel spider attack I decided I felt great and left the others to run the remainder of the stage. It was a fantastic feeling running through the last few stages in the dark, the road ahead illuminated by the moon. Every now and again you’d pass by the shadowy figure of one of the local children stood by the side of the track – where they came from I’ll never know. After 14hrs30mins I arrived at the finish feeling great with a huge smile on my face. An official commented that I looked really fresh (HA!), I collected my water and headed back to the tent. A quick recovery drink then into my sleeping bag for a well earned sleep.
