Kristina KALLUR (SWE)

Early stopping is what every participant in the MARATHON DES SABLES fears, and that's what happened to Kristian KALLUR (SWE) last year. Before that, she had only participated in a 10 km, and at the start she admitted to fearing a little what awaited her: “What I fear the most? The lightbulbs. And maybe also the camel marking the stoppage of the race. So what led Kristian to throw in the towel in 2021? Everything in fact: the weight of his bag, his preparation, the mind and recovery. Suffice to say that his participation last year served as a full-scale test. What will not change this year: « Enjoying a great adventure, the magnificent scenery and meeting wonderful people. And the sand ! »

During the MARATHON DES SABLES, each participant is self-sufficient: he carries his equipment and food for the entire week of the race. Thus, over meals and days, the bag gets lighter. A banality? Yes. Except for Kristina KALLUR (SWE): her bag will not lighten at all over the stages. Why ? Because every day, over the stages, it will collect a little sand. But why the devil picking up sand in the middle of the desert? « I‘m a full-on sand-nerd. I love how sand can reflect uniqueness, and beauty of places, nations, and people. How it connects to science, culture and historical events. That greatness can hide in what might appear plain and common. And the beauty of it. I also make jewelry based on the beauty of sand and all the wonders it connects us with. »

At 50 years old, the MARATHON DES SABLES is a real boon for this enthusiast of the grain of sand who has obtained, it should be noted, the approval of the Ministry of Energy, Mines and the Environment of Morocco for this collection. Because crossing immense sandy areas in this way will be a first for the Swede: « Those mythical Saharan dunes both scare and tempt. What better opportunity to really get a feel for it than spending days close to it? »

However, nothing predestined the fiftieth birthday to embark on this adventure, it is rather the coincidence of research on the internet that about it: « I found information about MARATHON DES SABLES when searching random facts connecting Morocco with sandin a quest for sand fact for each nation.  Once found the adventure seemed irresistible. An adventure + sand, lot’s of sand = love. »