The Marathon des Sables

At some point in the near distant future this section of the blog will become the main feature and the MdS section will come to its natural conclusion. It’s not there yet though, and I have more articles and thoughts to put up.

In the mean time what’s next? Well after my minor misdemeanour in the Woldsman (more on that at some point!) I am now back training and have some goals back in my sites.
Next month I have the Wharfedale Half Marathon (perhaps the marathon?) and then the Swaledale Marathon, but in the mean time I have bitten the bullet and am actually doing a 10K. This will be the smallest race I have ever done, the other being the Ferriby 10.

With a good summer of training behind me after the MdS I am really looking forward to getting some better ultra results at the end of the year, perhaps sooner if something comes along!

But in the mean time let’s see if I can run a decent 10K time… I might have to put in 20k to the start line to warm up!

After that something big is poking its head over the horizon … brrr.

I have uploaded the initial batch of unedited, rough and ready photos to picasa, enjoy.

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/MikeBlamires/MarathonDesSables2009

Well, that’s it, it’s done and I am back home and back to some sort of normality. The amount of messages I have received here, in the desert and via the blog has been awesome and a great boost.

It was a truly amazing, tough and painful race the likes of which I have never experienced before. It pushed me in every way I could have wanted and threw a new suprise around almost every corner (and a Jebel at 30 miles).

I will compile a race report and sort out the photos and videos shortly. In the mean time I am left only to thank my Dad for his stirling work on the blog!

Results will not be in until later today when I will update the blog.
Meanwhile a few stats……

Total running time 26 hrs 36 mins 34 secs
Time behind leader 13 hrs 03 mins 37 secs
Time in front of last person 28 hrs
Number of runners still in 773
Rank at beginning of Stage 4 290

This last leg has been very fast.
It would seem that not all the competitors rankings have been sorted out yet but the info on the site looks very good for Mike.
Checking just after midnight on the 4th this is what is recorded.

Number 568
General position 288

Overall time 32 hrs 29 mins 08 sec
Delay 16 hrs 01 mins 42 sec
Av speed 6.22 k/hr

From the 28th of March during the race itself Darbaroud (the race organisers) set up an email service in which they deliver emails to competitors in the tent, and that’s where you can help!

There is a section on the darbaroud website called “écrire aux concurrents/write to competitors” click on that and you can fill in a form which when sent will wing it’s way to me. When possible I will get some information on this blog but I will do my best.

It would be great to here from anyone who reads this blog. The messages will do me a whole world of good!