Well then, what is this event I’ve entered? All sounds a bit foreign. And it is. It’s the creation of a Frenchman, Patrick Bauer, an ex-French Foreign Legionnaire who developed a seemingly unhealthy love of the desert and exercise. Whether this was what caused him to join the French Foreign Legion, or was as a result of being in it, I’m not sure. It’s probably not that important either. I'm still confused over how a frenchman can be in the French Foreign Legion - if he's French, wouldn't he join the French Legion and leave the other one to the foreigners?
Anyway some 24 years ago he organised the first Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sands for the linguistically challenged amongst us) in Morocco. And it appears he’s done little else since then as every year he’s back there doing it again.
All very well I suspect you’re thinking, but what actually IS the Marathon des Sables? Well if you believe Mr Bauer, it’s “the toughest footrace on earth”. It covers about 250km (150miles) across the Moroccan Sahara on foot carrying a pack with all your personal items including food, sleeping gear and emergency first aid type stuff. Everything you need to survive in the desert with the exception of a tent and the 10 or so litres of water you’re likely to drink each day. It is a staged event held over 7 days with 6 stages. It varies each year, but generally those stages are around 25km, 35km, 40km, 80km, 42.2km (this stage is always a proper measured marathon) and 25km. At night you sleep in the desert in basic bedouin bivouac tents - big black shelters made out of sack cloth.
It’s in the desert so it will be hot. This is not totally ideal for me as I’m not too great in the heat. It will also be quite sandy. This is not totally ideal for me as I have been prone to blisters in the past.
Other than that, it’ll be great.
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