marathon des sables

Meet Dion Leonard – Extreme Runner and Gobi’s Master

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Dion Leonard is an extreme runner and stage race veteran. He has tackled the Marathon des Sables several times, along with 3 x KAEM (Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon – which he won in 2017), MdS Peru, Gobi March 250km and Global Limits Cambodia (where I first met Dion) to name a few – regularly bagging podium … Read more

Filippo Rossi: the Globetrotting Ultrarunner

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Filippo Rossi is a globetrotting journalist originally from the Swiss-Italian town of Lugano. In the last few years, Filippo has thrown himself around the world, running some of the most prestigious and challenging ultras and stage races in far-flung locales. His medal collection includes Marathon des Sables, Transgrancanaria, Endurance Life Dorset, Ultrabericus, Vulcano Trail and every … Read more

Runner Profile – Sarah Sawyer, Stage Race Extraordinaire

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Sarah Sawyer makes no secret of the fact that she loves multi-day races, primarily because they combine two of her favourite pastimes – running and travel. She has completed a number of multi-day stage races around the world, including the Racing the Planet 250km Patagonia in 2017 (1st female), Racing the Planet 250km Ecuador (1st female) … Read more

Dean Karnazes on Stage Races and Running Far

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Hey guys, I recently published the Stage Race Handbook – a full-on, 200-page guide to every part of preparation, training and running multi-day stage races such as the 4 Deserts series and Marathon des Sables. I was lucky enough to convince several well-known stage race runners and ultra-running legends to contribute to the book in … Read more

Stage Race Equipment Lists

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Having a good equipment list is a key part of stage race preparation, whether you are running a self-supported race like MdS or one of the 4 Deserts races, or a supported one such as the Global Limits races. I find that by far the best way to track my equipment when planning for a … Read more

An Introduction To Stage Races

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A Stage race is a foot race that takes place over more than one day – or stage.   They typically cover between two and six stages.   Given there are so many stage races with different formats and elements, it’s a wide field to try and categorise. So here is a brief overview of what … Read more

Marathon Des Sables – An Honest Account From An Under-Prepared Runner

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The Marathon Des Sables is a 250km self-supported race across the Sahara desert.

Now with over 1200 entrants each year, the event is the biggest of it’s kind on the planet.

Participants usually train for months to condition their bodies and prepare for the race – but often other commitments and time limitations mean many runners turn up at the start line under-prepared.  James Bowkett gives his first hand account of participating in the Marathon Des Sables, his first ever ultra-marathon, with less preparation than he would’ve liked . . .

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