The Marathon des Sables

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

We can all try to imagine what it must be like out there after 3 hard days but I’ll let Mike tell it in his own words.

I’m well. Yesterday was frankly brutal … they shortened the distance but put in the longest toughest single day stage ever. With mountains appearing at over 30 miles, followed by miles of dunes. The total distance was 56 miles and it was one tough route. It was baking hot, sand blowing, head wind and then cold windy and uphill! I came in around two which has notched me up a few places, I think, but was longer than I thought I would be! Walking a bit gingerly today but all OK. Two tiny blisters!! some real horror stories walking around! Really hot again today.
Big hugs for Megs please, the pictures came out when I needed some strength. Last day looks cancelled, but they have made up for it, never been so hard. Lots of people ill too… eek!
People are still coming in now and will be all day. some walked right through the night.

..and an additional message received later…….

People are STILL coming in after leaving at 9:30am yesterday… one of our tent is yet to come in and another friend did a good job of yesterday after 7 IV bags…
They are setting up in the middle of the camp for the orchestra to play which will be surreal.
Difficult to describe how tough yesterday was but with only one day to go (30 miles) and the end of self sufficiency it’s going to be a case of keep drinking & run like hell. It may not be as long as last year but with only a 40 mile long stage last year we can’t complain! It’s pretty great running along with the helicopter flying around filming. Hell it’s just great all around!
May get another chance to email tomorrow, still waiting the second batch of email, hoping there are as many as last time!
Say hi to everyone.

Due to the delayed start the race directors have decide to call off Saturday’s leg and make tomorrow the last day. It will be a long one at 26 miles (at this stage can any of them feel their legs anyway?)
So the traditional end of race party will be on after all but not a good one for the 10 times champion and favourite, Lanchen Ahansal (Morocco), who retired at stage 4 of the big day.
I would be very surprised if Mike didn’t see this as an opportunity to go into overdrive and make an all out effort to boost his ranking. (If he doesn’t we shall be having words when he gets back. He’s still not too big to put over my knee!)

We have just learned that the ‘big day’ stage is an unprecedented 56 miles
It seems this years MDS is going to be a significant and unique event in the history of this race.
Mike’s time for this gruelling stage is in. He said he would have been happy with 16 hrs and made it in 16 hrs 42 mins 06 secs and moved up in the ranking to 294!
It looks like the climate conditions continue to be favourable and he recorded 5.45 k/h over this stage which is a drop in average all runners experienced.
0915 hrs 20 Deg C with 36% humidity
1300 hrs 29 Deg C with 29% humidity
The big 56 began in two stages to allow better supervision. The first wave was determined according to rank and at a guess I would say Mike would be among these given his position and early reporting of his time on the website http://www.darbaroud.com/index_uk.php
Up to 0900 hrs today there have been 32 withdrawals and Mike stands at 52nd out of the 235 Brits still competing.
Rest day now for Mike. He is really bouyed up by all the messages he is receiving, keep them coming! via http://www.darbaroud.com/uk/html/mds/general/uk_24mds_ecrire.php

I received an e mail from Mike today at 1404 hrs. He sounds very positive and confident for the next stages.
Here are the relevant extracts;
I had to pull up a little strength for the last two miles and keep my place,it’s been hopt today but didn’t seem to have much effect on me as I was covered up and head down running along, your feel the heat more when you stop and slow down!
The really good news is I still feel great and free from aches pains and riding at 303 out of 840 runners!! I’m amazed but very pleased.
…….and thank everyone for the reems of messages (3 A4 pages :)
Looking forward to the big day, if things keep going I am on for upping a few places (fingers x’d!)
So, it looks as if today is the Big Day. At least 50 miles.
Based on Mike’s performance over the two days and given the length of this stage I reckon it will take between 12 and 18 hrs.
It will have been an early start, the MDS site has not updated, but one thing is for sure, the last few hours will be in the dark….in the desert…..I hope he’s made a few friends!