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Portraits
Laurie
Andrews (465) and Michele Jensen (500), positive
Helder
Alexandre Sousa Ferreira (613), surprising
Desert
Team 22 (328, 329, 330, 331,332), focused
Ian
Sharman (821), motivated
Shigemi
Hazama (631), hilarious
Gilles
Diehl (141), modest
Mohamad
Ahansal (1), under pressure
Al
Aqra’ Salameh (71), ambitious
Jorge
Aubeso Martinez (622), zen
Touda
Didi (6), determined
Ryan
Gregory (526), hollywoodian
Sylvie
Alcala Bournat (187), serene
Stéphane
Lesoin (207), reliable
Louis
Cornevin (48), passionate
David
and Mark Simon (531 and 532), together
Paddy
Haddock (892), fishy |
COMPETITORS'
CORNER
Akanksha Foundation
Cancer Research UK
St. Vincent’s cancer
Passion Trophy
Noma Facing Africa
AICR
ING Chances for Children
Fred Hollows Foundation
RUN 4 CHILDREN
Competitors list - 2008
Blackfriars’s School
OFFICIAL
PARTNERS
KIA MOTORS
NEW BALANCE
THEOLIA
Buff
ONMT
Sidi Ali
transavia.com
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| 05/04/2008 - Stage 6 : Isk N’Brahim/Tazzarine
: 17,5 km |
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Stage 6 Men
rankings
1. Mohamad Ahansal (1) 1h08m34s
2. Mustapha Ait Amar (4) 1h09m29
3. Salameh Al Aqra (71) 1h12m21s
4. Aziz El Akad (28) 1h12m43s
5. Samir Akhdar (2) 1h14m27
6. Lhoucine Akhdar (3) 1h14m27
Stage 6 Women rankings
1. Touda Didi (6) 1h31m50
Men general ranking
1. Mohamad Ahansal (1) - Maroc
2. Salameh Al Aqra (71) - Jordanie
3. Aziz El Akad (28) - Maroc
Women general ranking
1. Touda Didi (6) – Maroc
Moroccan competitor
Mohamad Ahansal won his second Marathon des Sables,
treating himself to a stage
victory, and the crowd to a splendidly accrobatic
cartwheel on the finish line in Tazzarine. After
a long series of MDS coming second after his brother
Lahcen, this child of Zagora demonstrated this
year a great strategic sense. He took a clear lead
on the first stage, gaining 17 minutes over his
challengers, and then simply kept control over
them. Despite his best efforts, Jordanian runner
Salameh Al Aqra’ could never make up for
his stage one defeat, although we owe him much
of this week’s excitement. Just like last
year, Aziz El Akad won a well deserves third rank.
On
the women’s side, no surprise: Touda
Didi from Morocco won all the stages way ahead
of her competitors. It’s her first MDS victory,
but most probably not her last, considering her
utter domination of the race. After her come Simone
Kayser and Lis Kayser, ex aequo – mother
and daughter ran together all week long.
On the
finish line, competitors expressed their joy, their
pride or their relief in various fashion.
Many broke in tears in the MDS director Patrick
Bauer’s arms. Many also chose to pay homage
to their country, holding out brand new flags,
from Morocco of course, but also from the UK, Jordania,
Colombia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Luxemburg… Families
were there to share the runners’ joy and
many competitors held their children’s hand
to run the last few yards taking them to the finish
line.
Some kissed the ground while others, despite
their exhaustion, insisted on a final sprint.
Thus this
23rd Marathon des Sables comes to a close: once
again, the human and sportive adventure
was completely out of this world. Our 1200 runners
and organisers will be going home with stunning
images and extremely moving memories. No doubt
they’re already thinking about the 34th edition.
In Cha Allah. |
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