18/04/05 Heure 06:55:00
Timing 00:00:42 Emission Sport 6
La 20e édition du Marathon des sables a démarré.
800 participants doivent parcourir 250km en transportant leur propre
nourriture.
M6
17/04/05 Heure 20:46:06
Timing 00:00:42 Emission Sport 6
La 20eme édition du marathon des sables se déroule
cette année au Maroc. Les 800 participants doivent parcourir
250 kms en auto-suffisance alimentaire. Ils transportent leur nourriture
dans leur sac-à-dos.
France 2
17/04/05 Heure 18:46:45
Timing 00:04:13 Emission Stade 2
Le 20ème Marathon des Sables vient de s'achever, après
255 km en 6 jours. Itw. de Anne-Catherine et Pierre Moritz. Détails
sur les conditions de vie des concurrents. Itw. de F. Compagnon,
directeur médical qui parle des limites physiques.
Last update : 17/04/05 - 8.05 pm Provisional general rankings Men
1. Lahcen Ahansal (Morocco-1) 19h09m04 - average 12.83 km/h
2. Mohamad Ahansal (Morocco - 2) at 7m55 - average 12.74 km/h
3. Lhoucine Akhdar (Morocco-5) at 2h08m40 - average 11.54 km/h
4. Samuel Bonaudo (France - 280) at 2h48m58 - average 11.18 km/h
5. Mustapha Ait Amar (Morocco - 4) at 3h02m41 - average 11.07 km/h
6. David Pasquio (France - 282) at 3h13m50 average 10.98 km/h
7. Marco Gozzano (Italy - 489) at 3h42m07 average 10.75 km/h
8. Marco Olmo (Italy - 490) at 3h57m36 average 10.63 km/h
9. Vincent Delebarre (France - 371) at 4h21m00 average 10.45 km/h
10. Eric Plantin (France - 276) at 4h30m21 average 10.39 km/h Women
1. Simone Kayser Diederich (Luxembourg - 785) 29h36m03 - average 8.30 km/h
2. Virginie Thevenot (France - 190) at 1h07m04 - average 8.00 km/h
3. Isabelle Degrand (France - 92) at 2h49m24 average 7.58 km/h
4. Sophie Satrin (France - 9) at 2h54m52 - average 7.56 km/h
5. Chantal Langlace (France - 269) at 4h39m21 - average 7.17km/h
6. Lorena Antonietta Di Vito (Italy - 478) at 4h59m53 - average 7.10 km/h
7. Maria Isabel Trujillo Barrientos (Colombia - 762) at 5h01m16 - average 7.10
km/h
8. Theresa Benet Graupera (Spain - 755) at 5h27m27 - average 7.01 km/h
9. Louisa Balsamo (Italy - 463 ) at 5h30m09 - average 7.00 km/h
10 Jennifer Segger (Canada - 637) at 5h43m08 average 6.96 km/h Teams
1. CTM 24h31m01 - Morocco/Tunisie/France - average 13.92 km/h
2. Legendre Bretagne Ultra - France - at 1h39m07 - average 12.87 kmh
3. Ertips Salomon - France - at 2h02m04 - average 12.50 km/h
The 20th edition of the Marathon des Sables ended with the crowning of two admirable
champions. Lahcen Ahansal won for the 8th time and Simone Kayser for the second.
The most experienced runners were unanimous in finding the course “very
difficult”. Despite that, only 46 competitors (6%) pulled out of the
race, showing that the vast majority came well-prepared. [more]
In the desert, you never go past anyone without greeting
them or enquiring about their health. This spirit also
comes quite naturally to runners on the MARATHON DES
SABLES where solidarity is a given on this human caravan.
Mutual encouragement comes before rivalry and this
is how it should remain. Even if there’s fierce
competition on the course, this only has meaning when
accompanied by respect for a certain code of conduct.
[next
...]
:: About ::
16/04/05 - Samuel Bonaudo (France – 280)
Super Surprise
Good-looking, a Southern accent, lots of kind words and strong performances,
such is the impression Samuel has left on the other runners. He’s a
true athlete who started off with more classic athletics (coming second in
the under 21s French 1500m Championships) before moving over to trail and
long-distance running in 1999. For his first MDS he says somewhat timidly
he hoped.
[read
the next]
:: Bivouac
News :: 16/04/05
A line called happiness
They’d been dreaming about this moment for the last 245kms and finally
in Tazzarine it became a reality. THE finish line, as usual, is a source of very
emotional scenes. As a sense of absolute relief takes over, we start to see sport’s
true raison d’etre. Ahmed has travelled the 70kms from Annif just to see
the Ahansal brothers arrive hand in hand carrying the red and green Moroccan
flag.
A few minutes later it’s the turn of Lhoucine Akhdar and Samuel Bonaudo
to cross the finish line hand in hand. They’re given a warm welcome from
a lively acoustic band from the Atlas region. The runners start dancing with
the band… it’s clear they still have energy to spare. The Italian
veteran Marco Olmo, a confirmed vegetarian, performs his usual ritual by lying
down to kiss the ground. He may well be thinking of all the kilometres he clocks
up in running to work. That was how he trained. Frenchman André Sicot
crashes through the finish line at such speed he knocks into Patrick Bauer as
the latter tries to give him his medal.
The ever impressive Simone Kayser and her husband waltz across the finish in
each other’s arms. We’ve now stopped counting the numbers that are
in tears over those last few metres : Gérald Batchon, Frédéric
Balard, Fabrizio Polinelli, Bernard Magnan, Nicolas Autret, Gerard Junker, Amanda
Heading…and the very moving Brazilian Mozart Santos Junior. Dominique Daste
gives Patrick Bauer a lengthy hug.
Others like Paolo Barcimini, Karim Sasse and Michel Odent scream with relief
and yodel with joy. Andrew Abt zooms over the line like an aeroplane then says
a prayer. Jonathan Ratcliffe from the UK runs the last few metres in his superman
cape and Jean Luc Garcia in a Gaulois cap. And a small selection from the fatigue
and happiness shelf : Fried Michael and Josef Mayerhofer from Austria who crawled
over the line on all fours. Hervé Demirjian, who did the last few metres
in a zig-zag as if the course wasn’t somehow long enough. And those that
just had to sprint the last stretch : Yannick Jallais, Howard Gareth, Pascal
Schaffner. Some arrived walking backwards, some insisted on doing tiny steps … the
list could go on forever.
The Chinese contingency finally arrives after a long and difficult course but
finish in a group and are above all happy.
Didier Benguigui and Michel Bach seal their third marathon together. Didier is
losing his sight and as the inseparable couple cross the line, the emotion is
palpable.
Patrick Bauer also has a medal for the camels and their masters who’ve
remained behind the very last runner throughout the race. They too have walked
the whole length of the race and in sandals …
:: Karim
Mosta :: 17ème MDS
Karim Mosta will run for its 17th MDS with colors AMH the
Friendly Morrocan woman of handicapped people 18000 members,
they are in the search of wheel chairs, already 11 found,
I thank the people for theirs whose
you can help it mosta.karim@wanadoo.fr /
06 80 38 55 23
You can read on running altitude report on raid the Sahara n°44
You can write to Karim Mosta Dossard 13 from the 9 to April 15 with
the marathon of sands to encourage it
:: 20th
MDS photos and videos :: Be careful !!!
Note!!! video-recorders such as DVCAM or mini DV are strictly
forbidden during the race unless you have special authorisation
and official accreditation from the organisation. Only digital
or regular cameras are permitted and are authorised exclusively
for private use by participants and support staff on the
20th MARATHON DES SABLES.
There is no way for competitors to recharge batteries during the
race.
To request special authorisation or official accreditation, please
email aoi@darbaroud.com.
:: Keeping
the desert clean ::
Publication
15/04/2005 00:30 am
There
are around 1200 people on this desert campsite and when you
change location each day, it’s
like moving a whole village. A village that produces around
30 cubic metres of rubbish each
day… enough to fill a good sized tent. That said, this little
world leaves its little spot of desert in the same state it found
it. This is not just a spectacle in itself, but a state of mind.
Four people work full time to collect and put the rubbish into
bags which are then burnt at high temperatures in a lorry affectionately
known as Terminator. The lorry is the ingenious idea of Saharan
mountain guide Michel Millard who designed it specifically for
the needs of MDS. Millard also happens to be a true ecologist.
All the day’s rubbish is burnt every evening at 800°C
in this 8-ton monster; the residue is taken back to Ouarzazate
at the end of the race. Michel Millard regrets that other courses
in the region have not had the same scruples about polluting the
desert: « it’s true that treating waste costs a lot
and doesn’t create anything ».
The organisation also encourages competitors to respect the environment
by levying heavy penalties (varying from 30 minutes to elimination
from the race) on those who throw their bottles or bottle caps
away in the desert. The method appears to work because cases of
runners being caught out are quite rare. It’s worth noting
that some runners are already eco-friendly. Mohamed Ahansal, also
a mountain guide, has written on his cap: « NO to black plastic
in the Sahara ».
:: A night in the
Sahara ::
Publication
15/04/2005 00:30 am
CP5, midnight.
Runners come out of the dark and collapse in Berber tents for a few precious
minutes rest. The majority don’t stay more than a half hour,
the desire to finish is too strong, the finish line too close. They’ve
now been out on the course for 15 hours. But good manners remain: many
pass energy bars around to share calories with those that need a few
more. Martin Mainwaring (655) from England works on off-shore oil rigs.
He’s been walkig alongside Spanish osteopath Eduardo Navarro
(773) for the last 15kms. They don’t understand one another and
communicate as best they can. When runners do manage to speak, conversations
get personal, even intimate. Sylvie Cadierno (304) : « you tell
your life story. It’s the effect the night and the fatigue has
on you.. … ». There’s a rumour going round that there’s
going to be a party, with mechoui and coca cola for everyone. One runner
asks if he won’t be too late for the belly dancers.
Lilia is one of the doc trotter medical team manning the check points.
She’s been treating feet and more feet for around 12 hours. Jacqueline
Baraldini (41) from France refuses to remove her trainers : « if
I take them off they’re going to swell and I’ll never be
able to get them back on ». Lilia tries to convince Akima Takehito
(430) from Japan who’s looking a bit worse for wear to rest for
an hour. He doesn’t look too convinced but ends up following the
doctor’s advice.
We head on towards CP4. On route, the runners stop any passing vehicles;
there’s only one question on their lips: “how many more kilometres? » We
bump into the Chinese team Daunting Rascals; they’re walking together,
suffering together and are being kicked into shape by the stern hand
of coach Chan (N°496). A bit further down the line, Emma Dawber (519)
from the UK tells us with no trace of irony : « I feel great, and
very happy ». CP4 itself resembles a dormitory. Around forty runners
are stretched out on every flat spot they can lay their hands on. The
desert camp site is scarcely disturbed by music from the walkman of Hugh
VAb Cutsem (550). He’s quick to affirm: « music changes your
life. Since I started running with the walkman I’m happy.»
3
in the morning
Back to the bivouac... following a long procession of headlamps. Many
competitors still have a long way to go. Thought for the day
Tommy While (N°539, UK) at the end of stage 4 “
It was the least enjoyable thing I’ve ever done in my life... up
there with circumsicion and breaking my leg. It was just 14 hours of
intense pain. But I say pain is temporary, success is forever.”
:: Project
2005 ::
A big project is underway for the 20th MDS. Firstly a solar pump
will be installed serving 2 villages, using 2,500m of canalisation.
Plus there’ll be a sanitary unit for the local school. The
building will be equipped with toilets and hot showers thanks to
a solar-powered water heater. A cistern serving the water tower will
be placed on a platform on a nearby hill. A 200m-long wall will protect
the school and the sanitary unit.
To help with the installation of these facilities, JOGGING INTERNATIONAL
magazine is appealing to its readers to make donations.
One of the lucky donors will be chosen through a draw to come and inaugurate
the project and be at the MDS finish line.
To take part, send your donations to:
JOGGING INTERNATIONAL, Opération pompe solaire
12 rue Rouget-de Lisle - 92442 ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX Cédex
Chèque libellé à l'ordre de : Bleu Sable – Opération
Jogging International
