Running the MARATHON DES SABLES is a goal that is often long in the making. Some come to win, some come to finish, but whatever their motivation, wherever they come from, they all have one thing in common: enthusiasm. Without the right amount of motivation, no achievement can be accomplished. It goes without saying that for a challenge as demanding as the MARATHON DES SABLES, the more motivation an individual has, the easier it is to overcomethe obstacles. For those who have never been to the desert before, more specifically the Moroccan desert, the beauty of the landscape can be overwhelming.

Over the course of a day, you can go from sand dunes to black rocky plateaux, passingthrough a small isolated village on the way where the green luxuriance can take your breath away. You can run over a lake where the blue water has retreated giving way to immaculate white soil. Then cross a wadi where age old tamarisks clinging onto life offer a welcome resting spot in the shade. All this is part of the MARATHON DES SABLES experience, with, to top it all off, the welcoming smiles of the locals inhabitants.

For this 16th edition, ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION Internationale have set up a new internet site where you can follow each stage of the race and exchange e-mails. Numerous international television stations will be present to broadcast daily images around the world. A satellite telephone system manned by operators will allow participants to telephone anywhere in the world. In the lead up to the big day, AOI volunteers are busy preparing themselves to be ready for every eventuality.

See you soon
AOI.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Don't forget to tell your families, friends and sponsors that they're able to leave you messages on Internet from 31 march to 06 april 2001 :

http://www.darbaroud.com
under the special heading "email / competitors"

VERY IMPORTANT : After 06 april this service will no longer be available for sending personal messages. Take note that only messages with your name, first name and number will be passed on to you.
Other services available on the bivouac :
Send faxes and/or telephone: 50 FF per minute
Send web messages: 50 FF per email Payment on the spot in FF, $ or Dihrams, or by credit card VISACARD and MASTERCARD only.

The obligatory medical certificate and electrocardiogram must be dated the month of March. Imperative: the medical certificate to be completed is the one in the registration file sent by AOI. Remember that failure to bring both documents on 31 March to Morocco will prevent you from beginning the race.

specialists in supplying medical assistance on hostile terrain, the DOC TROTTER team, consisting of 30 doctors and nurses, will look after the health of the participants. They are no stranger to blisters and all the other aches and pains familiar to runners and they should be consulted as quickly as possible to avoid any injuries becoming more serious.

All information on the 16th Marathon des sables (general ranking, emails, pictures, news...) and Desert Cup 2001 on our site
http://www.darbaroud.com

ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION Internationale
BP 98 - 10003 TROYES Cedex - FRANCE
Phone. : (33) 03 25 76 57 77 / Fax : (33) 03 25 76 87 75
E-Mail : aoi@darbaroud.com - WEB : http://www.darbaroud.com
Sahara News number 45 realized by CIMBALY International - Pépé and Marie

Sahara News n°45 - www.darbaroud.com - Webmaster : Neuromedias

Our offices abroad
Great Britain
Participants from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, will number 160 at the starting line of the 16th MDS. Our English speaking friends prove once again their enthusiasm for sport and the desert.
Spain
28 competitors, including one from Nigeria, will be joining us from Spain this year. We would like to congratulate all our representatives and issue a warm welcome to all the international competitors.

Congratulations to all our representatives and a warm welcome to all these international competitors.

From the heart
The rising sun's magic has captured the heart of Maurizio Bider(I). During the 11th MDS, he fell under Akemi Okura's(J) spell. The desert brought them together and they have decided to get married in Morocco. Officially or not, Patrick BAUER would be honoured to play master of ceremonies. We wish the happy couple all our best.

A few words of wisdom
After victory in the 15th MDS and the 1st DESERT CUP 2000 Jordan Telecom, Pascale Martin (F) is ready to give advice to all those who'd like some handy tips for this kind of endurance test. You can contact her through her internet site and she will be delighted to reply to any queries.
PascaleMDS@aol.com

As the youngest participants
Corentin BERTRAND (F) and Benoît MICHEL (F) who have cerebral palsy, are honoured team members of DUNES D'ESPOIR. They will participate in the MDS with their specially constructed one wheeled wheelchairs, towed and carried some of the way. These two twelve year olds will no doubt be the pride and joy of our convoy. Welcome and congratulations.

Tips from Karim MOSTA (F)
Backpack : 800g with side and waist pockets. Beware of seams which may cut into your back.
1 T-shirt for running and 1 long sleeved for the evening (light but warm).
Shoes: 1 1/2 to 2 sizes too large.
Gaiters : old lycratights stitched onto your socks and attached with velcro. Keep necessary material separate in a see-through plastic bag and anti-snake bite within easy reach.
To keep on top form: do stretching, keep hydrated, take a walk around the camp to talk with the others and cheer on friends at arrival, meals in the evening around a fire.

Keeping the desert clean
To achieve a level of zero pollution, AOI will be using an incinerator van to destroy waste. It is equipped with a fully auto-combustive furnace (practically smokeless), capable of destroying organic matter as well as plastic and light metal. As far as we know this is the first mobile incinerator of its kind.

A small gesture
There's nothing worse than a camp strewn with hundreds of pieces of toilet paper. In order to combat this unpleasant sight, AOI will install portable toilet cabins for competitors over the first two days. Afterwards, for those who prefer the great outdoors to our tent toilets, AOI will provide biodegradable bags where used paper can be stored and later transferred to special containers. This only requires the minimum of effort and will prevent spoiling the area.

Team entries
Just for fun : E. DALLA ROSA(I), C. BROGGI(I) and S. ROSSI (I) make up this 100% Italian team participating not only for the sport but for the spiritual aspect.

Grupo Tragaluz : T.W. Turner(NGR) and B. Marse Ortigosa, P. Torres Garcia, T. Tarruella, M. Rubio Sanchez, J.A. Santiago Enriquez, M. Armenteras, E. Triano Royo from Spain form this team whose members all work in the hotel industry.

Bomberos Tenerife Drager : This team from the Canary Islands are all firemen: R. Osacar Chacon(SP), J. Bravo Gonzalez (SP) and J.A. Perez Luis (SP).

BNP Troyes : M. Rota (F) and A. Brette (F) already took part in the 13th MDS alongside E. Hubert(F) who are here for the 8th consecutive time. This team from the Champagne region are coming back to surpass themselves.

The list of the British teams is to long to be mentioned here in detail, but here are a few names :
Desert Hope For Zambia, Raw Feet, Tuff Muthers, Grenadiers Guards, Evolution Capital, Pegasus Flyer, Pegasus Pack, Team Haven, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Captains Retired, Celtic Camels, 58 Independent Commando Squadron, 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment and Anglo-Swiss Challengers.

DESERT CUP 2001 Jordan Telecom
This endurance test will take place from 4th to 10th November 2001. Information packs will be sent in March/April and you can register up until 10 July. We'd like to remind those who wish to run in the race not to wait until the last minute to register if they want to be sure of securing themselves a place.