I've run a marathon and it was hard. Then I learned about ultra marathoners doing 50 and 100 mile runs in one day. Then there are the marathons and ultra marathons in rough places, like Death Valley. Then there's the grand daddy of difficulty: The Marathon Des Sables. It's 6 days and 6 marathons long, run in a desert with temps topping 110F, you have to carry your week's gear and food, and you are limited to 9 liters of water a day. Here are some photos and blogger Ben Hammersley's current results are here. The event finishes tomorrow. [via jay allen]
posted by mathowie on Apr 16, 2004 - 18 comments

A walk in the park? How about 250 km (150 miles) over Sahara sand dunes in temperatures reaching 44°C (111°F) carrying all your food and gear. Stage 4 was a 52 mile double marathon. Today it was just a simple 26 miler. 4800 masochists have done it since 1986, ranging in age from 17 to 78. The Ahansal brothers took 7 hours 33 minutes to finish the 84 km leg. Slower than last year because of the strong winds and blowing sand. Luke Cunliffe has been blogging his experience at the end of each day. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I guess. Shall we form a MeFi team for next year?
posted by Geo on Apr 11, 2003 - 5 comments