About the Marathon des Sables

The Marathon des Sables or ‘MdS’ is a multi-stage race that takes place in the Sahara desert in southern Morocco. It covers a distance of approximately 150 miles run in 6 stages over 7 days.

The exact route and stage distances are not released until the day before the race starts, but typically the race consists of:

Stage 1 - 15 miles
Stage 2 - 22 miles
Stage 3 - 24 miles
Stage 4 - 50 miles (2 days are available for this stage and it is likely to involve night-time running)
Stage 5 - 26 miles (usually an exact 26.2 mile marathon)
Stage 6 - 13 miles

The route is marked, but each competitor is also given a ’road-book’ that details the route. The terrain is very mixed, from rough stony plains to mountainous sand dunes. Temperatures during the day can reach 120 degrees F and drop to freezing overnight....

All runners also have to carry all their food and kit for the full seven days - the organisers provide open sided Berber tents at night and water, rationed to 9 litres per day, is handed out at the camps and checkpoints on route (check out my likely kit list on my training blog at: mad2008.blogspot.com

 

Why am I running the MdS?

To quote George Mallory, Everest mountaineer; “Because its there”. And, of course, being completely mad the challenge of running for 6 days through the desert really appeals.

Having run many ultra races in the last few years, from 35 to 101 miles, the distances don’t scare me, but the unknown factors do - the heat, surviving for 7 days on freeze dried meals, energy powders and gels (reknown for making me sick) and on just 9 ltrs of water per day in full-on sun.

There are also plenty of scare stories around from past MdS runners - from blisters on feet, shoulders and backs to scorpion stings to being blown down sand dunes by Eurosport helicopters!

Then of course there is the terrain - dry, rocky, sandy, vast flat plains, mountainous sand dunes and rocky escarpments - not really the sort of conditions you can train for in Yorkshire in winter, not even taking into account the effects of global warming!

Running to help others

The MdS, contrary to what you might think, is an extremely popular event and all the UK places for the 2008 event were snapped up within 30 minutes of the online entries opening. 2009 is also already fully booked and there are many mad people on the waiting lists desperate to run.

However, I got my place through the charity ‘Facing Africa’. They have been involved in the race for over 10 years, and sponsorship raised by Facing Africa’s runners is their main source of income.

Facing Africa is a UK charity and works to help children in sub-Sahara Africa whose lives have been devastated by ‘Noma’.

Noma is an infection that is prevalent in children aged 1 to 6 years old who are malnourished and perhaps suffering from other diseases like measles or malaria.

Noma attacks the cheeks and lips and causes gangrene to spread across the child’s face, leading to severe disfigurement. The mouth and jaw become eaten away, teeth become loose and fall out and sepsis sets in.

Without treatment from simple, inexpensive antibiotics, 90% of children infected with Noma die. The World Health Organisation estimates that 140,000 new cases of Noma occur each year (some in South East Asia, but the majority in sub-Saharan Africa). This means that 126,000 children are dying each year from Noma because of a lack of basic nutrition.

However, Noma also leaves behind 14,000 children each year who are severely disfigured, unable to eat, drink or even talk properly and who often become ostracised by their communities.

Facing Africa recognises that it can’t change the economic situation in countries like Nigeria and feed hundreds of thousands of children, but it can help those victims who survive Noma.

Facing Africa, working with partner charities from Holland and Germany is involved in the support and running of the only dedicated Noma Hospital in the World, the e Noma Children’s Hospital Sokoto in northern Nigeria.

Each year Facing Africa sends four teams of volunteer plastic surgeons, anaesthetist and nurses to Sokoto to perform life changing operations. Each team performs operations on 50 Noma victims, as well as children suffering from cleft palette/hair-lip and facial tumours.

It costs £40,000 to fund each team - covering the cost of flights, medical equipment and supplies. The surgical teams are not paid, they contribute their time and enormous skill absolutely free.

So for just £800, Facing Africa is able to change a child’s life.

My participation in the MdS is motivated by my desire to test my running ability and in doing so I am able to make the choice about sitting in the comfort of my living room, or putting myself to the test and the undoubted discomfort of running in the desert.

Children affected by Noma don’t have a choice. They are victims of circumstances beyond their control but in running the MdS for Facing Africa I have the chance, with your support to help change the lives of children affected by Noma.

I am funding my own place in the MdS and have already committed £1,000 to Facing Africa. I’d like to make that at least £4,000 and help at least 5 children affected by this devastating disease.

Will you help me to do that?

Sponsoring me is really simple, all you need to do is complete the from below and when you click on submit, you’ll be taken to Facing Africa’s secure donations page.

THANK YOU for your support.

Sponsor Me, please

By sponsoring me for the Marathon Des Sables you will help treat and prevent Noma - an easily treatable disease, gum ulcers that become gangrenous, ultimately causing death by septicemia.

Facing Africa is a charity dedicated to preventing, treating and curing Noma, in conjunction with other charities across the world - their website has full details, and an on-line donation form.

Facing Africa publishes the amount I have raised.

Links

• www.saharamarathon.co.uk - More information about the MdS (you could run it too!)
• www.facingafrica.org - Helping to cure and prevent NOMA
• www.darbaroud.com - The organizers of the MdS
• www.bestofmorocco.co.uk - Tailor-made trips to Morocco (marathon not compulsory)
• mad2008.blogspot.com - Keep up to date with my training and kit list.