Our `Iron Men’ Make It in World’s Toughest Race

By Johan Jaaffar

TWO Malaysians have done it – Ngae Koh Hieng and Tan Tah Ming, both in their early 50s, the former a lawyer, the latter a doctor. They were among the finishers of the Marathon Des Sables (Marathon of the Sand) which has been dubbed “the toughest footrace on earth”. They did that for a cause – to raise funds for Hospis Malaysia.

They braved the unforgiving Moroccan Sahara from March 25 to 31, last year with 725 other participants from all over the world, 29 of whom did not complete the race. For the record, one participant died last year, probably of exhaustion.

The Marathon Des Sables is the ultimate “Iron Man” race, the Everest of footraces. It covers 243km over seven days. The distance, to put it in perspective, is equivalent to 5 1/2 regular marathons. The difference is, in a normal marathon, you don’t carry a rucksack on your back or face the probability of sandstorms. Not to mention the ferocious sun and the bitter cold. You will be running or walking on uneven, rocky and stony ground and, of course, sand dunes (15 to 10 per cent of the journey).

If you are good enough, you can cover 14km an hour or more, but a speed of 3km an hour is considered decent. At least 10 per cent of the competitors are walkers, 90 per cent alternate between walking and running.

You don’t have to prepare your own food in ordinary marathons. In the Marathon Des Sables, you have to. Clothes, medical kit, sleeping bag and toothbrush? Sorry, no 7-Eleven or Mydin stores along the way.

Anyone can join the race, anyone crazy enough, that is. Participants so far have been as young as 16 and as old as 78. Death? Well, chances of you getting knocked down by a car in Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya are higher than in the desert of Morocco. Did I tell you participants have to take out an insurance policy of E1,525 (RM7,290) to transport your body in case of death?

If by running regular marathons you believe you are good enough to join, think again. Endurance and stamina are only part of the story. Mental conditioning is equally important. Do not underestimate what the heat can do to you, or the pressure and the demanding schedule. Imagine running 25, 34, 38, 82, 42 and 22km every day. Not on an asphalt road, mind you.

This year a record 801 competitors from 32 countries participated. It is one of the most anticipated footraces in the world, covered by at least 1,000 TV stations in more than 200 countries, not to mention hundreds of reporters from the print media, TV and Internet. Since it started in 1986, over 10,000 sportsmen and women have participated. Interestingly, 30 per cent are repeat competitors, 70 per cent non-French and non-Moroccan citizens, 14 per cent women and 45 per cent veterans. Okay, just to put potential participants at ease, the organisers have at least 400 support staff, 200 tents, 100 all-terrain vehicles, two helicopters and a Cessna aircraft on standby, 19 buses, four camels and a 42- member medical team. Not convinced? They readied 5km of Elastoplast plaster, 2,700 Compeed plasters, 5,300 painkillers and 125 litres of disinfectant.

The only problem is your drinking water is rationed. Competitors are given only 10.5 litres of drinking water per day in stages. The organisers will make sure you have 1.5 litres before the start of the race every morning, a few more litres at every checkpoint and 4.5 litres upon arrival at the designated posts. There is a non- stop stage where competitors have to complete a gruelling 80km stretch in 34 hours. The moral of the story is never leave your tent without water. In case you get lost in the desert, the organisers provide you with a distress flare and a luminous signal stick. And salt tablets, in case you need them. The prize for craziness? A trophy and a cheque for Euro5,000.

Now you understand why they call it the toughest race. Ngae finished in a total time of 50 hours 40 minutes (position 77/104 in the male veteran category of 50-59 years and 571/727 overall) while Tan finished in 55 hours and one minute (89/104 position and 627/ 727 overall). Not bad at all.

Next year will be the 24th race. Someone from Malaysia will be there to compete: Adnan Osman, better known as “The Bicycle Man of PJ”. This sportsman extraordinaire, now 67, has run 12 marathons, climbed all the 12 mountains above 2,100 metres in the country, reached the peak of Gunung Tahan 15 times and Mount Kinabalu three times. He was in the news for attempting to cycle to Beijing for the Summer Olympics.

Sponsored partly by the Youth and Sports Ministry, he left Kuala Lumpur on June 27 for his 8,000km journey to Beijing. He travelled north to Haadyai, then northwards through Surat Thani, Chumpon, Bangkok, Saraburi, Nakon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and Nong Khai before crossing the “Friendship Bridge” into Laos. From Vientiane, he cycled east to Paksan, Lak Sao and crossed the border to Vietnam at Cao Treo. From there he cycled eastwards to Vinh in central Vietnam, then northwards and finally reached Hanoi on June 3.

After being refused a visa into China, he cycled south and toured Vietnam for three weeks, covering Hue, Hoi An, Nha Trang (a sea resort where the 2008 Miss Universe was held) and Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) before moving on to Phnom Penh in Cambodia. He covered a journey of almost 4,000km. He was back in Kuala Lumpur on July 28, frustrated over not being able to enter China but determined to do something crazier.

Adnan is eying the Marathon Des Sables. He has spoken to a number of potential backers and the Malaysian AIDS Foundation is keen to look at the possibility of highlighting their cause through the race. Adnan is as upbeat as ever. He is now practising hard to better the records of the two Malaysians who completed the race.

(c) 2008 New Straits Times. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.