Posts Tagged ‘extreme endurance races’

So popular is this extreme sport becoming that it’s getting tough for endurance athletes to find a race.  The Marathon des Sables, for example, is fully booked until 2011.

Enter Across the Divide. They organise 4 ultra-marathons a year, kicking off  with The Namib on 19-21 February, 2010 – this race is rapidly making its name as the ultimate endurance race for long distance runners.

It is a race that will test each athletes physical and mental strength to the limit.

“Across the Divide have captured the spirit of adventure racing in this event for me!“ Andy McMenemy, Namibia ultra marathon participant 2008.

This race, along with the Iceland Laugavegur Ultra Marathon, the Spanish 24hour Ultra Marathon and the Grand Canyon Ultra are all events organised and run by the founding directors of  ‘Across the Divide’ , Mark and Karen Hannaford and their team.

Mark has been involved with charity challenges and expeditions for over 22 years and has led expeditions all over the world as well as taking part in extreme endurance events. Karen, a keen runner, has been involved for over 17 years in expeditions, event management and charity work.

The extreme series for Across the Divide has actually been developed by Steve Clark who, having completed both the London and Edinburgh marathons, was looking for a new challenge. In April 2005 he completed the Marathon des Sables in Morocco and was  well and truly smitten by the ultra distance race bug.

Tony Ford completes the team with a broad range of event organisational skills. He himself has completed some of the worlds strangest races, from Tough Guy to Lions Head, and The Beast to Bibbulmun Trail. After 15 years of marathons and trail races, Tony still has the bug…

Which brings me back to the Namibia 24 Hour Ultra Marathon (charityatd).

This race was first run in 2008 and in the words of competitor Peter Holdgate, “It was hot!  It was hard! It was awesome! – A true adventure.     This race is a must for individuals who wish to test their limits of physical and mental endurance.”

The route has increased in length slightly for 2010 – it will be 126kms in total which is the same as 3 full marathons. Each of the 6 stages of the route will be 21kms in length.

the route is mainly flat or undulating, firm under foot, but stony with occasional patches of sand and short grass cover. The most difficult part of the route will be traversed at night and it will be important to take care as  rough tracks and loose stones will be difficult to navigate in the dark – even with a full moon.

When dawn breaks and you begin to think that the worst must be behind you, the race finishes with a punishing up-hill section before turning off down to the beach, the infamous Skeleton Coast, and the finish line. Jayne Freer, also an original competitor, says of this final section: “The last leg is truly horrific – punishing on the mind, body and soul. Eighteen kilometres down a road that never ends, followed by a further two down to the sea at the Mile 72 campsite. Each and every step is punishing, painstaking and pure hell.”

Runners have to be self-sufficient throughout, carrying all their food, water, energy bars and change of clothing in backpacks – everything they will need for temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius (46 C was clocked one day) and plummeting to two degrees at night.

Steve Tidball, a competent runner regularly doing 30-40 miles with no problem, was defeated by heatstroke within the first 2 hours of the 2009 race – it is worth noting that he came to this race fully prepared having even done heat training in preparation for the desert temperatures. However, he was allowed to complete the race, and had this to say about it: “Of course once I’d started to recover the magnitude of what we’d been through began to kick in. We met people out there who’ll undoubtedly be friends for life. I learnt that the desert is not to be underestimated; it is an awesomely intimidating place capable of destroying you. I loved every minute of the camp, and the opportunity of being surrounded by people who are just like you and like a bit of pain with their running. And finally I feel unbelievably grateful to the doctors at Across the Divide, first for saving me from doing anything reckless with my health, then secondly for letting me rejoin the race. It allowed me to take away invaluable experiences that will last with me forever.”

As with all the ultra-marathon endurance races we talk about on this site, whether it be AdventureCORPS’ Death Valley Badwater Marathon, or RacingThePlanet’s 4 Deserts (the Sahara Race is underway as we speak), or Across the Divide’s, what strikes me most about the event is the amazing depth of camaraderie and alliance amongst the competitors and organisers – one and the same in some cases. And the friendships that are born out of adversity… There seems to be a unique bond which is tangible but hard to explain.

Well worth witnessing first hand I think.

A normal length marathon is run in the Namib at the same time and will finish after stage 2.

There are still 98 places available for the extreme  Namibia 24 Hour Ultra Marathon and if you wish to enter please click here

The Sahara Race, a seriously extreme endurance race, has got off to an excellent start…

At the start of the race special recognition was given to Alasdair Morrison of Scotland and Ji Sung Yoo of South Korea, the only competitors in the race who have completed the 4 Deserts. However five more competitors will join the 4 Deserts Club, if they complete this current Sahara Race.

The oldest competitor, 74-year-old Jack Denness of the UK, said: “It is fantastic to be here. I love it. It is great for my ego as even the front runners give me lots of respect because of my age.”

Whilst we wined and dined most of a blissful sunny Sunday away, 130 intrepid adventurers set off under clear blue Sahara skies on a sandy, rocky route that had been classified as moderate.

“The magic of the famous White Desert will be only the beginning of many memorable moments in the Sahara Race.” – said course director, Carlos Garcia Prieto of Spain, and indeed it was. Special permission was needed to be allowed to camp in this very special place.

Canada’s Trailwinders team member Lara Rintoul said: “Its so beautiful out there I’m happy not to run, as powering along head down would mean I wouldn’t see it. We’ll never be back here so we have to ensure we take it all in and enjoy it.”

The winner of the Atacama Crossing 2009, Canada’s Mehmet Danis, led the field on the first day clearly determined to make his mark early on in this event. Crossing the finish line he said: “It was a nice first half but after the third checkpoint the soft sand and heat really got to me and I slowed.”

Tobias Frenz of Germany has taken second place. He said: “The first 10km was easy then you hit the sand. I really went for it in the last 5km.” Christian Schiester of Austria is the third man across the line.

Erica Terblanche of South Africa was the first woman to complete the first stage after a very strong first day performance. Erica is a former world class adventure racer with an impressive track record in endurance running as well. She now works in the financial sector in London and when asked what her colleagues think of her unusual passion for endurance sports (she recently completed a 10,000km cycle expedition across South East Asia) she said,  “People at work have been trying to reconcile what I’m like for 20 years. I have a briefcase in one hand and a surf board in the other!”

Team Trifecta were the first team to finish.

Some competitors lost time earlier in the day because of navigational errors and the harshness of the race, the environment, and the conditions took their toll on some of the entrants and Alain Wehbi of France, Erik de Haart of Australia and  Patrick Griggs of the USA withdrew.

As night fell at the end of the first day, glow sticks were placed on the course to guide the last competitors in.

Last to come in were Jack Denness and Karen Dockwray of the UK in high spirits. As they crossed the line, 74-year-old Jack joked: “Sorry we were so long, we stopped off for a honeymoon.”

Many competitors found the first day very tough and the medical tent was busier than normal. Several people needed treatment with IV drips… Everyone was happy to sit, relax, draw breath and enjoy the excellent cuisine:

Tongue in cheek I have to admit!!!

Stage 2 has got off to a good start with Austria’s Christian Schiester leading at the first checkpoint of the day, though he’s only seconds ahead of Canada’s Mehmet Danis and Tobias Frenz of Germany…

And whilst the competitors are slogging it through the sand, the event organisers are having a little fun:

With thanks to racingtheplanet for the videos and the photograph. If you have taken the time to watch the 3 videos you will have got a very good impression of the atmosphere out there: the joie de vivre, the camaraderie, the mood of this singular event…

214 competitors from 38 countries are expected to participate in this extreme endurance race, including a record number of past champions who will be vying for top places.

This is an endurance race bar none. This six stage, seven day, 250 km self-supported footrace will cover some of the most spectacular dunes and stunning landscapes of the oldest desert in the world – the Namib Desert. Starting with a steep descent into the Fish River Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world, an area rich with local wildlife such as Mountain Zebra, Giraffe, Oryx, Steenbok, Springbok and Leopard, competitors will make their way through the African bush traversing lunar landscapes and will go over some of the most demanding and challenging sand dunes in the world to finish at the Skeleton Coast in the charming town of Lüderitz.

The event kicks off on the 17th May with 17 former champions including 27-year-old Ryan N. Sandes of South Africa, who has won two previous RacingThePlanet events and 60-year-old Marco Olmo of Italy, a recent champion of many top ultramarathons.

Seven teams will be competing including a four-person team from Israel, a Spanish team, a father/son/daughter team, a Japanese team, an HSBC bank team, an American/Danish team and an all female team. A record number of women will be competing with 54 on the roster. The largest contingent of competitors hails from the United Kingdom with 58, and a record 63 competitors are coming from Hong Kong.

It’s a stunning environment to have this seriously extreme race in. Namibia has spectacular desert scenery, including some of the world’s highest dunes; fascinating ethnic groups free (so far) from the negative affects of mass tourism, and game parks second to none. Add to this a stable government, good infrastructure and an official language that just happens to be English – it doesn’t come any better than that, does it.

Best of luck to all of you taking part….