Ben Ragless and Nick Summers Marathon Des Sables Challenge

Fame!

2008-04-05T16:22:00.007+01:00

We set the boys a challenge of appearing in the photos or video footage of the event... and they seem to have managed it -the 2 guys in the light colours in the middle of this picture are Ben & Nick at the start of stage 5 (left-Ben 807, right-Nick 832) from the photos on the official MdS website.

Claire

Stage 6 Results - THE FINISH!

2008-04-05T15:13:00.008+01:00

Stage 6 results are up - Nick and Ben finished the 17.5km stage in 2hrs 42minutes, and more importantly completed the 23rd edition of the Marathon des Sables!!

You can see a summary of their results for the whole event here (Nick) and here (Ben). They are placed 512th (in provisional results) for the whole week which is excellent, however I think for this event, it is definitely the finishing that counts.

Claire

News from Nick and Stage 5 Results

2008-04-04T23:08:00.004+01:00

The results are up for stage 5 - they completed the marathon distance day in 7hr 42min 23sec, amazingly they were running on average much faster than any of the previous stages!

The last email from Nick below:
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Wow that was the toughest marathon I have run! The 1st Km was fine but mentally it got so tough after CP1. It was all mental...thinking that in 24 hours I would be soaking in a bath, also we had done so well on the monster 75kms it was hard psyching ourselves up again for the end longest stage. It was another toughy and I've just heard it got up 51 degs today, the hottest yet. It was hot but I am amazed at what the body can do when pushed. I finished at 17:45, its now 18:40 and I can see people still crossing the line from where I sit. We're still waiting on 2 tent mates. Only now do I feel that I will complete the MDS.
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A photo of the marathon stage start - they all get new race numbers at the beginning of this stage to smarten themselves up a bit for the media as this day gets quite a lot of press interest!!

Last chance to write a message of support..

2008-04-04T10:47:00.002+01:00

The message service to competitors will be closed at 5pm tonight (GMT+1), so it's the last chance to send your final words of encouragement and congratulations to the boys today!

You can send them a message here, or by clicking on the link to the right of the blog.

Nick Summers - 832.
Ben Ragless - 807.

Claire

More News from Nick - Stage 4

2008-04-03T22:41:00.003+01:00

Below is an email received from Nick this evening after their rest day today.
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As I said we have been holding back a bit as we knew over a 75km (47.5 mls) distance we'd make a load of time on other competitors. We were really strong the whole way, as it got dark we weren't once overtaken! We did it in 16hrs 57mins. The leaders had a 3hrs wait before starting and caught us at checkpoint 2, they are extraordinary people. A good 75% was on sand again, really tough going-note to self I should have brought poles! Ben is a machine with them, I have to put so much more effort in. Kit wise everything is working but can't wait for a decent meal on Saturday! Today we are resting in the tent and fixing up blisters. Whilst writing this message our last tent mate has just crossed the finish line to a round of applause.The cut off is 30 or 34hrs, we finished at 02:12 this morning. Looking forward to reading my messages later today with tomorrows marathon looming.
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The official results for stage 4 are available and some great photos are here and here. Here is one of the amazing laser which helps to guide the competitors to the checkpoints at night... like something out of Star Wars!

Satellite link up - Stage 4 news!

2008-04-03T13:33:00.003+01:00

I received a surprising phone call at work earlier - Nick on a satellite phone from the Sahara! He was phoning to say that they completed the 75.5km of the 'long day' (stage 4) in 16hrs 57mins (I think..not sure about the minutes), getting in at 2am this morning. It's a really great time, and they were very happy with their performance (again 2nd and 3rd back to their tent), and looking forward to a rest day today.

They sound very positive about the remaining two days. Everything is going well - a few blisters, but they are dealing with them on their own, so not too bad. All the kit is performing well and they are pleased with the amount of food they took. They sound like they are thoroughly enjoying themselves, although Nick is sick of the porridge for breakfast, swapping it for a peperami this morning!!

Nick also asked to pass on a big thank you for all the messages of support he has received. He was the envy of his tentmates yesterday as he had a huge bundle of well-wishes, and they provide a huge boost each evening. Keep on sending them as they have 2 more days left - a marathon distance stage on Friday and a short (by their standards!) stage on Saturday.

Claire

No results yet....

2008-04-02T23:06:00.004+01:00

...Just to say that I am not shirking my duties! Today is the infamous 'long day' which this year is 75.5km (about 47miles). The leaders finished in yet another amazingly fast time of 6 1/2 hrs!! However, it is likely that most 'normal' competitors will be walking through the night or choose to sleep at a checkpoint and walk the remaining sections tomorrow which is officially a rest day. I expect that some results will start to appear tomorrow morning... I will post as soon as I hear news....

Claire

(photo is competitors climbing Jebel el Oftal -a serious start to stage 4)

News from Nick - Stage 3

2008-04-02T07:15:00.003+01:00

Despite the very long day, Nick still found time to write an email yesterday evening!! They sound in good spirits and ready to tackle day 4:
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Hello! So another day succesfully completed and maybe our best stage as we finished 2nd & 3rd in our tent :) It was 45+ degs again. We cleared another 25kms of stunning sand dunes, they are amazing. We then climbed a very steep mountain in the middle of the day, which gave a beautiful view over the dunes we had crossed, if only I could send photos! Ben and I have been keeping it steady getting ready for tomorrows big one, we're hoping it will be our strongest, its 75kms. A quick word on kit, food wise I wouldnt want any less, so thank goodness I didnt ditch any! However the GPS did go back in suitcase, so no positions I'm afraid. I got lots of messages last night which was brilliant, thank u everyone it really does help.
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There are some videos of the stage here so you can check out the conditions - mostly sand and rock!

Stage 3 - Results, photos and maps

2008-04-01T20:54:00.004+01:00

The results are in for day 3. Nick and Ben both completed the day in 9hrs 2mins 40secs with their highest ranking so far - fantastic! It looks like the temperatures were extremely high - 48 degrees at 12:30 pm. It is hard to imagine what it might feel like and how it is possible to move in that level of heat! The going was also very tough with many sets of dunes and rocky mountain terrain.

Hopefully they are now recovering from this long slog and can prepare for tomorrow.. the long day....

Claire

News from Nick - Stage 2

2008-03-31T22:56:00.003+01:00

An email from Nick about stage 2:
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Firstly a quick thank u to everyone that sent a message -we're getting them every night now and they are such a boost. Please keep sending them as it's getting tougher all the time. Today was 38 kms and it was tougher than yesterday for sure. We had some dunes to start and then hit the salt flats which were amazing, the scenery has been spectacular the whole time, amazing dunes yesterday and the mountains surround us most of the time. In the flats at ckp 2 were told the temp was 46 deg by the doctor, we both felt fine inside and our heads were clear. We also went past wild camels which was cool, we've also seen lizards and beetles no spiders yet! We finished in 8 hrs today.
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Stage 2 - Results, photos and maps

2008-03-31T20:36:00.003+01:00

The results are up from stage 2. Nick and Ben completed the stage in 7hrs 59mins 42seconds. This stage was 38km over much more rocky terrain, through and over dry river beds with a few dunes thrown in for good measure. This map below is the first section of this stage:

Some photos from the stage are here. Remember that you can send a message to Nick (832) or Ben (807) by going to the Darbaroud website or by clicking on the link on the right hand side of the blog. These messages are printed out each evening and given to the competitors, and must really boost their spirits.

Claire

News from Nick - Set up day and Stage 1

2008-03-31T08:44:00.003+01:00

An email from Nick sent Sunday evening:
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Yesterday (Saturday) was a lot of getting kit ready and a final inspection and deciding what should be sent back to the hotel. My inspection went smoothly and I was given the all clear and weighing in with 10kgs! After that foll0wed a sandstorm which was pretty nasty especially blowing through the tent. Today (Sunday) we ran 31kms including 14ks through beautiful dunes. Then we hit the open flats which was v.v hot. Ben and I kept pushing each other to drink and take salt which seemed to work. The last stage took us back through dunes,which was tough back to the bivouac, we finished in 6hrs45mins. We were v happy with the time and just demolished a spag bol! We're feeling good and I only have 1 small blister but the gators have lost their stick, so off to do some repairs now and enjoy a choccie mousse and a good sleep hopefully.
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Stage 1 - results

2008-03-30T22:44:00.005+01:00

The results are up from stage 1. Nick and Ben completed the stage in 6hours 44minuntes 9 seconds. It must be a relief to get the first day (and those dunes) out of the way.

...go!

2008-03-30T20:35:00.005+01:00

A photo from the official MDS website of the dramatic scenery surrounding the start this morning (they're in there somewhere...) :

On your marks... get set....

2008-03-29T21:55:00.007Z

It seems like an eternity since Nick and Ben 2 years ago first thought this adventure would be a good idea, and just as long since we have known a weekend without running silly distances, so it is with great anticipation and excitement they are very nearly starting the race! All seems to have gone well with the Check-in day and they are now ready to go (...although I think Nick at least has been itching to start for a few weeks now).

It looks like the base camp has been situated a few km north of Merzouga, close to the famous Erg Chebbi dunes. These dunes are the first obstacle that they will have to face on stage 1, which will be a tough test, but at least they will have fresh legs to tackle them. Tomorrows stage is 31.6 km in total ending at another very much smaller set of dunes. This is a photo from the official MdS website of where they have been staying for the last 2 days -what an awesome view with the Erg Chebbi in the background!

You can check out the route for the 1st stage tomorrow here, along with links to some photos from todays Check-in day and press release.

Claire

Base camp - saturday

2008-03-29T08:30:00.001Z

And our first camels. Everything is going well but still no running yet! We've been issued the race roadbook and we start the race with 14k's of dunes-we have a great view of then from our tent!

Claire in charge....

2008-03-27T21:58:00.005Z

So here goes... Nick and Ben headed off today on a flight from Gatwick to Ouarzazate with the rest of the British contingent and have left the blog in my hands. The idea is that I will update it with info from the desert when it becomes available. They will now be enjoying 5 star luxury at a hotel in Ouarzazate before heading on a long journey out to the desert tomorrow. Saturday is a kit check day, and Sunday is Day 1 of the race.

The official MdS website will post the route and finishing times daily, and I hope to be able to update these here. Also, Nick and Ben will hopefully have the chance to email from the desert so I can also post their news.

The other important thing to mention is that From Saturday 28th you can go here to the Marathon Des Sables website (http://www.darbaroud.com/index_uk.php), and a link will appear allowing you to "Write to a competitor". You will need to enter the race number which is 832 - Nicholas Summers and Ben Ragless -807. You can send only text, no pictures, and send as many messages as you like - They'd love messages every day if you have the time!!!. These messages can be messages of support but also I am sure day-to-day news will be great to hear. The organisers distribute the messages on paper to the competitors every evening.

More soon...

Rain in the desert?

2008-03-26T11:50:00.006Z

Ben sent me through the forecast for Ouarzazate yesterday and I couldn't believe rain was forecast! Rain would be lovely I'm sure but in reality I don't think it's going to happen as we're running about 7 hours from Ouarzazate in the middle of the desert, where temperatures will be way above the sunny 25 deg C. Some guys are taking watches with GPS/thermometers built it, so I'll do my best to find out when we're out there the actual temperature.

We're both off work today, doing a few last minute jobs. The first task was to check each others kit against numerous lists to make sure there's nothing missed and too see if we can ditch anything that's not really necessary.

We've done pretty well I think, overall I think we have too much food but I don't have a huge amount of fat/muscle to burn off, so I'd rather have plenty of food! My bag weighs in at 10.75Kg's plus 1.5 Kg's of water with Ben's a little heavier, which we're still not sure about as we have near identical kit?!! The rules state the backpacks must weigh between a staggering light bag of 6.Kg's up to a meaty 15Kg's.

Here is all my kit laid out

Off out now to get some Haribo treats and dig out my waterproof!

Sick of the treadmill

2008-03-21T11:38:00.003Z

Just a quick post after getting back from gym before Claire and I head to Norfolk for a couple of days to try and forget all about the MDS!

The cold weather this week hasn't impacted our training as its all been done indoors on treadmills and fully kitted. After 45minutes-1hour mostly running, it's off the sauna for 15 mins to try and raise our core body temperature.

Easter Monday is looking like our final run and sauna before we head out next Thursday.

Just can't get enough

2008-03-19T13:15:00.008Z

Those who know me well know that I have a soft spot for stats . Whether it be on the weather, sport or something techie I can't get enough of them! So when I stumbled on some great stats from the MDS organisers I just had to post them!

The last couple of weeks I've been asked all sorts of questions about the event and sometimes you've been given a 'nick fact' or rough guess! But here are the 'official' answers.

• 100 volunteers on the course itself
• 400 support staff overall
• 100 000 litres of bottled water
• 150 berber and Saharan tents
• 100 all-terrain vehicles
• 1 "Ecureuil" helicopter and 1 "Cesna" plane
• 3 mountain bike
• 6 "MDS special" commercial planes
• 18 buses
• 4 camels (if these guys overtake us, we're in trouble apparently)
• 20 000 litres of diesel
• 5 000 litres of petrol
• 10 000 litres of kerosene
• 40 members of medical team
• 5 km of Elastoplast , 2 700 Compeed, 15 000 compresses
• 2 800 pairs of gloves, 2 300 antibiotics, 5 300 painkillers
• 125 litres of disinfectant
• 1 editing bus, 5 cameras, 1 satellite image station
• 6 satellite telephones, 15 computers, fax and Internet
• 1 grain of folly!

OVER 8500 COMPETITORS SINCE 1986
• 30 % repeat competitors
• 70 % international
• 30 % French
• 14 % women
• 45 % veterans
• 30 % in teams of three or more
• 10 % walkers
• 90 % alternate walking and running
• 14 km/hr: average maximum speed
• 3 km/hr: average minimum speed
• Age of youngest competitor: 16
• Age of oldest competitor: 78

Hopefully there's something in the list for everyone : )

Running in 92 ° F in Stevenage?!

2008-03-16T17:46:00.003Z

Since our tough weekend in Nottingham, we've started our taper so we haven't been running any long distances. Today however we got ourselves fully kitted up and headed to David Lloyd in Stevenage to test things out in a bit of heat. We ran on the treadmills by the swimming pool for about an hour, where the temperature is high along with the humidity. We won't face humidity that high in the desert, so we were encouraged by our performance. We did get a few funny looks from other more conventional gym users! The kit felt fine, with Ben's newly designed hydration system working well ,and the front pack for me seemed better than in Nottingham. It was also a test of whether all my kit fits in the bag...fortunately it seems like it does!!

During this week the plan is to do a couple more similar sessions at the gym and then put our feet up for the last week before we head out... not long now...

Final Instructions

2008-03-11T19:45:00.003Z

Our final instructions from Best of Morocco arrived today, giving a day by day blow of what we'll be doing before and after the race, where we'll be doing it and at what time. Here's a brief summary of how our time in Morocco will be spent from March 27th - April 7th:

27th March - depart Gatwick at 12:30. Arrive at Ouarzazate and head to the Meridien Berbere Palace Hotel and find some buddies to share a Bivouac with.
28th March - 7-8hrs uncomfortable transit to the Start, base camp. Last chance to ditch unwanted kit in suitcase before sending it back to Ouarzazate.
29th March - 5th April - MDS 2008, self sufficiency.
6th April - A very, very long shower/bath back at the hotel.
7th April - 05:45 transfer to Ouarzazate airport. Arrive at Gatwick 12:10.

Apart from the usual details about flights, transfers, kit, the desert etc. one sentence under the hotel details (post race) made me laugh!

"IMPORTANT - Please note all competitors are forbidden from using the pool after the event due to infected feet."

I can just imagine us drinking a beer, sitting on sun loungers just wishing we could jump in that pool!

Getting itchy feet now...

Getting the all clear

2008-03-10T21:17:00.007Z

One of the prerequisites for the MDS is passing an electrocardiogram and a doctor signing off a compulsory medical certificate. The rules of the MDS state that the ECG and medical certificate must be completed less than 30 days before the 29th March (Day 1 of the race).

Some of the running/MDS forums had talk of £500+ for getting this 10 minute job done - BUPA I'm sure! I decided to look close to home and try my local docs at Bridge Cottage Surgery, Welwyn. After explaining what I was up to and why I needed it, they kindly agreed and gave us both a super discounted rate.

I had been getting a bit worried about it, as in theory the doctor could find something that I didn't know about and not sign me off to run, which would mean no MDS. The previous weekend in Nottingham I had witnessed this first hand, when a doctor would not sign a runners certificate due to high blood pressure.

Thankfully both Ben and I got the all clear. I even came in with a respectable resting heart rate of 51 bpm.

How Can You Help?

2008-03-05T19:27:00.007Z

...By sponsoring us to run this years Marathon des Sables.

All these running adventures are great fun but in the process we are trying to raise as much money as possible to help people who are less fortunate than us.

We have decided to support and raise money for a charity called Facing Africa, which is concerned with the prevention and cure of a terrible facial disfigurement disease called NOMA. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 140,000 new cases of NOMA occur each year and of these, a mere 10% survive. This is mainly in sub-Saharan countries from Senegal to Ethiopia.

We have set up a secure, online sponsorship page which can be accessed from the SaharaMarathon website - we've made it so easy for you!

CLICK HERE TO PLEASE SPONSOR US!

We have just found out that this years MDS is the longest ever! Another good reason to sponsor us!

Back to back marathons in Nottingham

2008-03-04T22:11:00.005Z

During the past 3 weeks we have been steadily increasing distance and packing more weight, combined with consecutive days of running. Saturday and Sunday saw that put to the test, along with our full kit!

Last Thursday Ben and I had got together to have a run through of kit to see if there is still anything we haven't got. Needless to say there's some medical kit that I still need and a couple of bits of clothing but in the main, we're both pretty much there. The kit check also allowed us to load our backpacks as if we were heading out to the desert tomorrow, so we could test some new bits and see how we got on with the weight.

10:00 on Saturday we arrived at a warehouse in Long Eaton, Nottingham where we would be based for the weekend. We made our way upstairs where a doctor was doing BP and ECG tests on other MDS 2008 entrants, it all seemed pretty odd in a cold, drafty warehouse! Ben and I didn't have ours done at the weekend but more on that in my next post.

About 25-30 people had turned up to share in a weekend of lack of sleep, freeze dried food, sharing of ideas and of course running! The plan was to run a marathon on Saturday, bunk down in the warehouse for the night using my new Minim 300 sleeping bag from PHD Mountain Software and thermarest. Then get up early and head out on Sunday and do the same again.

At 11:00 we headed out on Rory Coleman's 26.2 mile circular route, with our run/walk game plan, which we will be using in the desert. The route itself was good and not because of beautiful vistas and quaint villages but because the route required constant navigation from the map, which we haven't been practicing much recently. The route had quite a bit of up and down and varied terrain, so it provided a really good test. Even though we had all the kit, things just didn't feel right and strangely Ben was feeling the exact same. We couldn't really explain it but my new front pack was bouncing around and feeling uncomfortable, Ben's water bottles were slipping down his backpack. We were out of our comfort zone. We both made some changes and got ourselves running in a group of 5/6 others. Instantly this helped pick us up and we started clocking up the miles.

We got back in 5hrs 59mins, honestly! We were a bit disappointed but we were both carrying 10-11kg's of weight, cross country and with the same to do the next day.

We ditched the kit and tucked into some much needed food, fortunately the Expedition Foods stayed tucked away and Rory put on a Fish and Chip supper. During the evening there was lots of talk from MDS veterans and a guy called Olly gave a really good presentation with some great photos and stories from last year. By 10:00 everyone was starting to hit the sack and by 10:30 it was lights out. I felt very comfortable but the wind was howling through the warehouse and the noise of the snorers made it a tough nights sleep!

The alarm went off at 05:00 and I got stuck into an Expedition Foods Porridge and Strawberries combo. Apart from being a bit runny I'd give it a thumbs up.

We headed out at 06:15 with slightly lighter bags and no front pack for me (cheat I know!). Everything felt better and we decided to push on and not fall into a large group, which can slow things down. We made it round with more running in 5hrs 49 mins. So only 10 minutes quicker, it felt like we had done it 30 mins quicker!

I slept well on Sunday night!