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Alison's Marathon des Sables blog: Who, What, Where!
By Alison Hamlett on 01/04/2011 16:10:44
Intrepid Editor of Triathlete's World Alison heads to Morocco to take on the toughest footrace on earth - the 2011 Marathon des Sables
Marathon - my 'home' race - six times. I set my personal best of 3:14 in London in 2010, and my personal worst of 6:28 at the Medoc Marathon in 2008 - the 24 'aid' stations serving red wine ad strong cheese definitely slowed me down. In 2005 I was second
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Antarctic Ice Marathon 2011
By Alison Hamlett; Photos: Alison Hamlett & Mike King on 14/12/2011 09:42:51
It's 100 years since Amundsen beat Scott to the South Pole. To mark the anniversary, we headed to the Antarctic for a modern polar challenge: the Antarctic Ice Marathon
magnificence. And as for its competitors, you won’t find a more varied, eccentric and vigorous bunch of runners anywhere else on the planet. Add to that this year’s 100th anniversary celebration of Amundsen reaching the Pole on December 14 and you’re left
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Alison's Marathon des Sables blog: Stage 1
By Alison Hamlett on 04/04/2011 10:47:20
Fresh from the Moroccon desert, it's our first progress report from intrepid Triathlete's World Editor Alison.
Stage 1 : 33KThe first 13K of the stage was on the flat. The ground was uneven but firm and I was feeling fine. In the distance were towering sand dunes that shimmered like silk; they turned out to be the next part of the route and stunning though
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Alison's Marathon des Sables blog: Stage 5
By Alison Hamlett on 11/04/2011 10:19:57
As the end of the race nears, Triathlete's World Editor Alison's thoughts turn to home comforts - a hot shower and a cold margarita are first on the list!
Stage 5: 42KToday was the marathon stage of the race. I managed to run the first half - I'd become bored with walking and wanted to test myself, but at the second checkpoint, at the 24K-mark, and with the temperature hovering around 50C, I took a
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Alison's Marathon des Sables blog: Stage 2
By Alison Hamlett on 05/04/2011 10:21:11
In her second missive direct from the desert, Alison updates us on running through sandstorms - and learning the French for 'blister'.
Stage 2: 38KThe sun usually rises here just before 6am but there was no sunrise this morning. We woke to a sandstorm, just what we didn't need to kick off a 38K stage. I'm sharing a tent with Jay Batchen, who has done the race eight or so times: he
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Alison's Marathon des Sables blog: Stage 3
By Alison Hamlett on 06/04/2011 09:49:20
Day three, the wind drops and our desert challenger is finally able to appreciate the beauty of the dunes
. The first 12K were relatively flat, albeit stony; then we came to the dunes and stayed on them for most of the day. I actually managed some running today but I'm still only really keeping up with the walkers who aren't stopping at every checkpoint. You can
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Alison's Marathon des Sables blog: Stage 6
By Alison Hamlett on 13/04/2011 14:36:59
Our intrepid Triathlete's World Editor finally reaches the end of her first Sahara trek - and looks ahead to next time...
At just 17.5K, the final stage of the 26th Marathon des Sables was the shortest by far but still proved to be challenging. It was another hot day - although once the temperature rises above 40C it's hard to differentiate between simply hot
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Marathon du Medoc: A Marathon Drinking Session
By Alison Hamlett on 09/10/2008 15:46:44
Pasta parties and recovery runs take on a new meaning when the race-day beverage is taken from the cellars of surrounding chateaux
started to train for the race: now where did I put that corkscrew? So you want to run the Medoc Marathon? The next race – on September 12, 2009 – will mark the 25th anniversary of the race, so expect places to fill even more rapidly than usual. To find
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Marathon des Sables 2011: Gallery
By Alison Hamlett on 13/04/2011 15:31:35
You've followed Triathlete's World Editor Alison's Marathon des Sables blog over the last week, and now she's back with some stunning pictures which show off the dramatic backdrop to this epic week-long desert race (and her bandaged feet...).
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Desert Storm: Taking on the Marathon des Sables
By Alison Hamlett on 19/07/2011 14:31:20
One hundred and fifty-six miles across the Sahara Desert with limited water supplies in the blistering heat (and with blistering feet)...fancy it? Only masochists need apply.
stage wondering if I could do well at the MdS. On paper I'm an okay runner. I was first lady at the 2006 North Pole Marathon, second lady at the Himalayan 100-mile stage race in 2005 and I have a respectable marathon PB of 3:14. But after developing bad
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