The 2008 Sahara Race, part of the 4 Deserts series of ultramarathons, got underway over the weekend, with two stages already in the books. More than 150 racers from 30 countries, have descended on Cairo, where they will spend seven grueling days in the desert, racing through one of the hottest environments on Earth.
You can find results from the first two stages by clicking here. Stage 1 was 35 km (22 miles) in length, and wound it’s way through giant rock formations, forcing the runners to use careful navigation throughout the day. Stage 2 took place in the beautiful White Desert and covered a distance of 41.8 km (26 miles).
After these two stages, runner Ryan Sandes of South Africa leads the way, with Paolo Barghini of Italy in second, and ultramarathon man Dean Karnazes of the U.S. in third. Karnazes is attempting to become the first man to complete the 4 Deserts and the Badwater in the same year. German Nina Breith is the top female competitor, currently in 4th place overall.
The race will continue over the the next few days with the fifth stage, dubbed The Black Desert March, covering 92.6 km (57.5 miles) on Friday. Saturday will see the racers running home, with a short 10 km (6 mile) run to the finish line. Amongst the competitors this year, for the first time, is a team from Egypt, who are proudly carrying the flag for the host country.
Good luck to all the runners. Be safe in the Sahara heat.
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Just got Dean’s book a while back.
The guy is a machine!
He will do well in this one I’m sure…
DSD
Yeah, he is a machine. Just reading about his commitment to running is scary. He may not be the top ultra-runner in the world, but he’s right up there, and he’s easily the best known and most marketable.
Wow, that’s insane.. I spent one night in the Sahara earlier this year which I traveled across by camel.. not even foot.. and I was sore! Maybe I should jump on the marathon train?
Informative, cool blog. I’m glad that my Google Alerts didn’t fail me :).
Best,
Suz (a.k.a. Lil’ Boozie)
“3 Troopin’ Travelers”
Hi Suz,
Welcome to my blog! The Sahara Race is one grueling event, as I’m sure you can tell. I spent a few days in the sahara a few years back, and couldn’t imagine running a race through it. The heat was intense without running 20+ miles. Amazing experience though. I’d love to go back.