Namibia Desert Challenge – Big Daddy dune

Namib Desert Challenge – An Overview

The Namib Desert Challenge  (NDC) stage race has been described as “hot, hard and awesome”. The race has become increasingly popular over the past five years with ultra runners from all over the world.

Weather conditions make Namibia a tough running destination and therefore competing in the NDC is nothing short of extreme, and certainly not for the faint-hearted. Hot and dry weather in the summer and cold and dry conditions in winter, along with the tricky terrain, make running here no easy feat.

The event is organised by Kinetic Events, which prides itself on helping individuals from all walks of life push their self-conceived personal limits and discover their true potential.

The NDC is now in its fifth year running and takes place in the Namib Naukluft National Park of Namibia. Taking place over five days, the NDC is 220 kilometres long and separated into five stages of between 28km and 55km. Stages cover some of the most beautiful and diverse scenery, from rocky mountains to the famous Sesriem Canyon and the two highest sand dunes in the world, Dune 45 and Big Daddy.

The runners are required to carry only emergency equipment as part of this semi-supported race. Water checkpoints, which have been described by runners as an “oasis in the desert”, are strategically placed along the way, with a medical team and supportive crew members based at refuelling points to encourage the runners and keep their spirits sky high.

The logistics crew keep the race camp well organised so that the runners are welcomed to a buffet dinner each evening, warm showers, campfire, as well as tents in which to sleep. This is the time when the medical team can sort out any painful blisters and sore feet that the competitors may have developed.

Each competitor has his or her own reasons for running the NDC as well as own training schedule and method of preparation.There is nothing more satisfying than pushing your own limits and achieving your goals. The NDC is a ‘must do’ race on the international ultra running calendar.

The 6^th edition of the Namib Desert Challenge will be run from the 28^th October to the 1^st November 2013.
Results of the March Namib Desert Challenge

Resources

For full details about the March and November races, please visit www.namibdesertchallenge.com

Read Lisa de Speville’s experience at the March 2013 edition of the Namib Desert Challenge http://adventurelisa.blogspot.co.uk/

Namib Desert Challenge October 2013 Multidays.com - Multiday and Ultrarunning News

Photo courtesy 4Deserts

Celebrating the Ten Year Anniversary of the Gobi March

The world-renowned Gobi March celebrates its 10th anniversary this June with a striking new course through one of China’s most fabled regions. Kicking off on Sunday, 2 June in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, competitors will embark on a 250-kilometer course through lands once ruled by Genghis Khan, an emperor simultaneously revered and feared by populations in Central Asia and China.

With the snow-capped Altai Mountains as their backdrop, 155 competitors will weave through alpine grasslands, dry riverbeds, mountain valleys, high plateaus and local villages in the Bortala Mongol and Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefectures. They will carry all of their own equipment and sleep in tents along the route. The course, which includes more elevation changes than in years past, starts at an altitude of 500 meters and climbs to 2,800 meters on the fifth day in the seven-day course.

Of the competitors taking part this year, the greatest numbers hail from Hong Kong and China, with both countries sending 23 participants to the 10th anniversary course. This is the highest number of Chinese competitors to ever participate in the history of 4 Deserts events, a revealing insight into the growing popularity of endurance events in mainland China. Among the Chinese competitors is Jin Feibao (49), called “one of modern China’s greatest adventurers,” a mountain climber who has completed the Explorers Grand Slam (summiting the highest mountain of every continent and reaching both the North and South Poles), and competitor Xing Bo (41) who has competed in three back-to-back 4 Deserts events at the Sahara Race (Egypt) 2012, the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2013 and the Gobi March (China) 2013 on his way to join the 4 Deserts Club.

Top contenders for this year’s race include Italy’s Stefano Gregoretti (38) who placed second overall at RacingThePlanet: Nepal 2012 and American competitor Joel Meredith (39) who placed seventh overall at the Sahara Race 2012. Also contending for a top spot is 4 Deserts newcomer Davide Ugolini (39) of Italy. In the women’s category, the United Kingdom’s Joanna Eades (44) returns to the field after placing as the fourth female at RacingThePlanet: Australia 2010 and fifth female at RacingThePlanet: Namibia 2009.

Competitors will be setting out from a starting line just north of the city of Bole—on a course through the Mysterious Rock Valley and Mongolian settlements, along cable bridges with views of the nearby Tian Shan snow peaks and a memorial to Genghis Khan. The race also provides opportunities to witness the daily lives of the Mongol, Kazakh and Uyghur minorities of the region.

The anniversary race is also the setting for an inspiring, new charitable program. After many years of partnership with the Esquel-Y.L. Yang Education Foundation and its scholarship fund, RacingThePlanet and Esquel are now launching the Esquel-RacingThePlanet Scholarship Program. The 10-year program will provide much-needed educational costs for local children in the Xinjiang province. The scholarship will support and fund ten Uygur students through their schooling—from the first year of high school all the way through university graduation.

The Gobi March 2013 (China) is one of the four races that comprise the world renowned 4 Deserts series of 250-kilometer, rough-country footraces. Apart from the brand new course, the 10th anniversary edition of the Gobi March will include cultural highlights and special celebrations.
The Gobi March 2013 will take place on a new course in Bortala Mongol and Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefectures in northwestern Xinjiang Province. The start line will be near Bole, the capital city of Bortala, at the foot of the Altai Mountains.
The course has a number of highlights, including the Mysterious Rock Valley (where the largest group of strange rock formations are located in western China), Mongolian settlements, local culture, cable bridges, views of Tian Shan snow peaks, the famous Sayram Lake and a memorial to the founding father of Mongolia, Genghis Khan.

The race website: The Gobi March

About the 4 Deserts – www.4deserts.com

Gobi March 2013 – The Ten Year Anniversary Multidays.com - Multiday and Ultrarunning News

Emu 6 Day Race 2013 winner Wolfgang Schwerk

The 2013 Emu 6 Day race at Balatonfured in Hungary has come to a close with Germany’s Wolfgang Schwerk winning by a clear margin over second placed Trond Sjavik from Norway with 857.74765 km. Schwerk’s total is the best 6 day performance in the world so far this year.
Pulas Tamas of Hungary made third place after surging past both William Sichel and Miro Režonja with about 6 hours to go.

Hungarian Krisztina Nagyné won the ladies race with over 713 km ahead of Silke Gielen and third placed Ruth Jäger from Germany. 36 finshers.

The 48 hour race was won by Lajkó Csaba with 343.9397 km and Corinne van der Merwe was the only female participant finishing with 130.51605 km. 8 runners took part.

William Sichel’s blog,

Race website and results @ : www.unixsport.hu

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Emu 6 Day Race, Balatonfured, Hungary 2013 Results Multidays.com - Multiday and Ultrarunning News

William Sichel suffered with the heat yesterday which enabled Miro Rezonja to catch up but William has recovered today and is back to his normal rhythm. Johan van der Merwe has been back running on the course after an extended break.

William Sichel’s blog,

Race website and results: www.unixsport.hu

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EMU 6 Day Race 2013 – Update 99 hours Multidays.com - Multiday and Ultrarunning News

William Sichel drawing close to Trond Sjavik Photo: Alan Young

Wolfgang Schwerk has moved into top spot in the EMU 6 Day Race in Hungary. Taking very little rest so far, Schwerk has roared ahead with Trond chasing. William Sichel has maintained a steady pace and has climbed into third spot. Johan van der Merwe has been stopped for 12 hours so that looks like a problem. Reports say that Sharon Gayter has had stomach problems and has dropped out. Krisztina Nagy (English spelling) has also had a great 24 hours – currently in 5th place

Update: according to Shaun Brassfield-Thorpe, Johan van der Merwe has pulled out.

Race website and results: www.unixsport.hu

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EMU 6 Day Race 2013 – Update 58 hours Multidays.com - Multiday and Ultrarunning News