Marathon des Sables: Facts and Figures

Running the numbers - the Marathon des Sables 2011

849 starters

811 finishers

56C highest recorded temperature

21C lowest recorded temp

11.99kph Average pace of winner

3.02kph Average pace of slowest runner

100,000+ litres of water distributed

Tent 115's Luxury List

I won't name and shame individuals, but here's an idea of the little luxuries the inhabitants of tent 115 took into the desert:

• A tent (really...don't ask)
• A copy of Jilly Cooper's Riders (pages were ripped out and discarded after reading)
• Birkenstock sandals
• An iPod and solar charger
• Canon G12 camera
• Notebook and pen