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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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| 06/04/2008 - Prize ceremony |
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The Prize ceremony
for the 23rd Marathon des Sables took place this
afternoon in Ouarzazate. Patrick Bauer, director
of the race, handed out trophies to this year’s
winners in the presence of local authorities representatives,
of Lahcen Ahansal – who won MDS ten times -
and of Abdellatif Benazzi.
Three questions to Abdellatif
Benazzi : « I
would have loved to run this race»
Abdellatif
Benaazi, tell us the reason for your presence here
today.
I founded the “association Noor » to
help build schools in West Morocco. Policemen from
the GSPR (security guards to the French Republic
president) ran to raise money for this charity
and they did a great job. I’ve come here
to thank them from the bottom of my heart in the
name of Jerada’s 85 children who will no
longer have to walk 7 km to go to school. I also
intend to invite them to come and visit Jerada
so they can see for themselves.
Rugby is known for
its spirit of solidarity. Did you find similar
values here ?
I did, yes. Running is an individual
sport but this marathon is truly a collective adventure.
Looking at all the different nationalities amongst
the runners, and their variety, and the spirit
of comradeship… I see this race as a symbol
of dialogue. And I am very proud that Morocco,
a fast changing country, can provide such opportunity
of meeting between peoples.
So, should we expect
to see you run the MDS?
I tried to run the London
Marathon, I ended up limping for two months. My 115kg
are difficult
to carry… I have knee trouble. But for sure,
the MDS is a race I would have loved to run.
A quick
bio
78 selections on the French national rugby team,
including 15 times as captain
3 world cups
2 Great Slams: 1997 and 1998
Some data about the logistic side of things
The Marathon
des Sables is not merely a race, it is also a most
impressive organisation manned
by over 300 people, enabling the 800 competitors
to tread 245 km in the best possible conditions
in terms of safety, logistics, and care for the
environment. In total, 108 000 litres of Sidi Ali
water bottles, 1400 litres of petrol, 5000 litre
of kerosene and 30 000 litres of fuel were consumed.
Two helicopters followed the race from beginning
to end, and so did 16 military trucks and the incinerator
truck.
Some data about medical care during the race
To
get a sense of how much bodies – feet
in particular – suffered, all you need to
know is that the Doc Trotters medical team handed
out 4,2 km of elastoplasts, 13 000 compresses and
97 litres of disinfectant. Add to that 1750 medicines
against diarrhoea, 1970 ones to stop sickness,
3700 painkillers, 87 litres of perfusion, and 2400
litres of physiologic serum for a total of 4680
interventions. |
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