WINDY CONTROL DAY

In the MARATHON DES SABLES LEGENDARY, Saturday is traditionally devoted to controls, a necessary step before attempting the ultimate desert adventure. And today’s guest is the wind.

After a relatively cool first night, the wind settled in at the MARATHON DES SABLES LEGENDARY bivouac. Blowing in gusts, it carries grains of sand which force future Sand Marathoners to protect their eyes and mouths, offering a perfect replica of the logo of the legendary desert event. And one phrase comes up regularly in the mouths of all the participants: “It’s a dream that’s come true!”

Adam RUDY (D634-IRL), from Dublin, agrees: “This is my first time on the MDS and in the desert. We are very lucky to be here. I chose to take more food than the minimum requested, I think it corresponds to my size and my energy needs.”

TECHNICAL AND MEDICAL CONTROL

At MARATHON DES SABLES LEGENDARY, safety is a priority. The event takes nearly 900 participants to flirt with the limits of their bodies in an extreme environment; the aim of the organization is to allow them this experience in optimal safety conditions.

This is why this pre-race day is dedicated to checks. They took place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a speed record for nearly 900 participants. Firstly, the medical team checks the state of health of each participant and conducts an exchange with them to warn them of the dangers of the desert and good practices, particularly in terms of self-medication. This is a particular point of attention in the world of trail running, and even more so here, in the heart of the Sahara.

Each participant must also present their equipment and justify safety elements and the quantity of food – freeze-dried meals, seeds, energy powders, etc. – since the event is run with food self-sufficiency. At the end of the technical inspection, the bag is weighed (without water), and must be between 6.5 and 15 kg. Below that, the organization considers that the participant will not be safe, and above that, the risk of injury is too high.

EXCITEMENT AND OPTIMIZATION

Marie GOUBY (D788-FRA) finishes the checks accompanied by her husband Nicolas (D789-FRA): “Nicolas already did it in 2014, and this time it was me who wanted to do it. We are here to enjoy together. I'm excited, that's it, we just want to leave tomorrow morning. This completes a part of the path. As for the equipment, we had prepared everything in advance. Our bags are not that heavy, I am at 7.2 kg and Nicolas at 7.6. We have a mini sleeping bag and a mini floor mat cut just below the hips, but in terms of food we just asked for the minimum.”

For his part, Matthew HILL (D66-GBR) is even more extreme: “I come from Cambridge, it’s my first time, I’m excited. I spent a good time optimizing my equipment and I am very happy with the weight displayed, 7.9 kg. I didn't take any comfort items. I like to see how far the human body can go.”

D-1 : READY FOR THE ADVENTURE

The roadbook distributed yesterday to the competitors allowed them to visualize in detail the 6 stages that they will have to complete in the next seven days, starting with a first stage of 31.1 km tomorrow. It will be quite rolling, with little elevation change, and relatively little sand. A perfect way to embark on the adventure.