“ ...another step into the unknown". after he finished the grueling 250 Km Marathon des Sables in the Sahara desert , he is ready for his next 250 Km race at the China’s GOBI Desert .....

Crossing the Gobi Desert

CHINA Gobi Desert
250 km Ultra Endurance race
Jun. 27 2009

Running for six days across the Gobi Desert layered the acute challenge of a hardcore endurance event between two other notorious stress factors: harsh , extreme conditions , unpredictability and drastic topographic variability , intense heat , salt fields and embrace raging sandstoms. In other words, 250 Km hell. The Gobi is the largest desert in Asia.  Bordered by the Altai Mountains and Tibetan Plateau, it covers a massive area in China and southern Mongolia.  Because it is situated in a rain shadow formed by the towering Himalaya range, rain-carrying clouds are effectively blocked from reaching the Gobi by the world’s tallest peaks, so it is a very dry place. The climate of the Gobi is one of great extremes, combined with rapid changes of temperature, not only through the year but even within 24 hours (sometimes by as much as 40 deg).  June can be hot, with temperatures reaching 55°c during the day. The 250 Km race takes place in the Xinjiang Province of China, in an area currently closed to foreigners, along the ancient Silk Road.  Special permits are being issued to the competitors (who hail from 26 different countries around the globe). The terrain will include many river crossings, rocky landscapes, gorges, mountain trails, and long expanses of flat desert. Altitudes along the course will reach almost 3000m.  To keep things interesting, the course may be modified daily depending on expected water levels of the rivers or poor weather conditions, as well as severe dust and/or sand storms which could prevent or severely limit visibility.  The Gobi March (or “Death March,” as some have called it) can be challenging, to put it mildly.  Like the Marathon des Sables I recently competed in, the format of the Gobi March is the same.  Racers must carry all of their own food and equipment throughout the duration of the 250 Km event.  A daily ration of water is all that’s supplied.  Beyond that, you’re on your own.  Self-reliance is critical.