STAGE SIX: 6KM With the medal I had longed for finally around my neck I took myself away from the joyful hubbub and let the moment truly sink in. Standing alone for the first time since finishing my thoughts immediately turned to getting home and celebrating with my friends and family. I had not used … Continue reading Marathon des Sables: Part Ten
STAGE FIVE: 42KMMaking my breakfast on the morning of the last competitive stage of Marathon des Sables I found a messaged I had written before I left home, which now felt like a lifetime ago: “Future James, if you have got this far I want you to know how proud I am of you!! Go … Continue reading MARATHON DES SABLES: PART NINE
REST DAY After I said my goodbyes to Charly I made my way nervously to my tent. I knew, having checked up at each checkpoint during the stage, that Mark has finished and done so in an amazing time but it was still such a comfort to see Mark’s familiar smiling face as I came … Continue reading Marathon des Sables: Part Eight
Stage Four: 76 KM (Part Two) As the final light of the day faded, we switched on our headtorches and made sure our glowsticks were attached. These glowsticks would act as guiding lights for the rest of the race. Not only were they attached to every competitor but also to every marker along the course. … Continue reading Marathon des Sables: Part Seven
Day Four: 76KM (Part One) When we left the tent that morning and made our way to the start line, we had no idea that by the end of the stage we would lose one of our tent mates and have another hanging on by an ever thinning thread. Our tent dynamic was about to … Continue reading MARATHON DES SABLES: PART SIX
DAY THREE: 37KM I wake up to pitch black, surrounded by whispered commotion, with headtorch light darting through the darkness. A sandstorm had ripped through the camp felling many of the tents, including ours. Grace and I are the first out of our sleeping bags, trying to weigh down our tent as best we could. … Continue reading MARATHON DES SABLES: PART FIVE
Even before I left for the desert a lot of people were asking what kit I was taking. Since I’ve been back not a week goes by where I don’t get asked for advice on what kit to take for next year’s race. So I thought I would compile a list of all the kit … Continue reading My Kit for Marathon des Sables
DAY TWO: 32KM That night I dreamt about riding the London Underground and as I wearily stir, I half expect to be sat in the cramped heat of a Northern Line train rather than the cramped heat of my sleeping bag. Rolling over and staring out at the sand and endless horizon I can’t help … Continue reading Marathon des Sables: Part Four
DAY ONE: 32.2KM I wake up instantly, through fear or excitement I’m not sure. The camp is still relatively quiet with only a few people stirring from their sleeping bag cocoons. I stare out at the endless desert beyond the camp still unable to imagine myself in it. As the rest of the tent begins … Continue reading MARATHON DES SABLES: PART THREE
The day before the start of the Marathon des Sables can be defined in one word: faff. We spend the early morning unpacking and repacking our bags, attempting to shave a few last minute grams. Since we carry everything needed for the race (except for water and the bivouac tent) any weight that can be … Continue reading MARATHON DES SABLES: PART TWO