MDS Stage 4 - Press Release Day 1

Stage 4 : 05/04/2011

Press release n°9 - DAY 1

To the end of the night… and beyond!

The atmosphere of the bivouac was ambivalent this morning, before the start of the 4th leg of this 26th edition of the Sultan MARATHON DES SABLES, the longest leg: 82km between the Rheris wadi and Rich Merzoug. Many competitors showed a closed, worried face, before setting off into the unknown – for they really didn’t know what to expect. All they knew was that they had to reach the next bivouac by 7pm the next day. Just like Christian Mosar (D348-LUX): “I always feel blue at the start of this leg. Not because I’m thinking we’re getting closer to the end. It’s more a sense of uncertainty. I’m wondering what’s going to happen to me today. Am I going to make it to the finish line? It’s a little bit harrowing”. Others, on the other hand, just couldn’t wait to confront the desert under 40°C at last. “I do it for myself, but also for my family. To show them that with only a year’s training and a touch of madness one can do great things.” At 9.15, Patrick Bauer sent off 778 contenders on the Moroccan desert tracks. The top 50 men and top 5 women were still patiently waiting for their own kick-off, planned for 12am. When they did set off, it instantly became a proper battle between “king” Mohamad Ahansal (D1-MAR) and those who wanted him down from his throne. Salameh Al Aqra (D236-JOR) did quite a good job of it: reaching the 4th check point 49km away from the start line in only 4 hours and 20 minutes, the Jordanian runner took the lead. The Moroccan duo, Ahansal (D1-MAR) and El Morabity (D4-MAR) was 5 minutes behind.

The student surpasses his master

At that stage, the first place in the general ranking wasn’t yet in dispute. A bit further down, Damien Vierdet (D284-FRA) from France consolidated his 5th position in the general ranking. As to the women, the duel kept its promises, with Laurence Klein (D280-FRA) and Emma Roca (D107-ESP) staying neck and neck. At CP 4, they were only 11 seconds apart, the French runner ahead. For anonymous competitors, things became tougher as hours went by. At about 5.30 pm, medical care was getting more intense under the Docs tent at CO 4. Anne, whose first Sultan MARATHON DES SABLES as a doc it is: “it’s mostly scratches on the feet or blisters. There are a few things a bit more serious, but nothing alarming.”

Whilst those still in the race were trying to get physical and psychological comfort, El Morabity (D4-MAR) made the most of a tragic moment of weakness of both his master, Ahansal (D1-MAR), and Al Aqra (D236-JOR), winning the leg 24 minutes before Ahansal and 27 minutes before Al Aqra. But Mohamad Ahansal is a proud man: it wouldn’t be surprising to see a strong reaction from the quadruple winner, either on Friday’s marathon stage or on the last leg