Namibian ultra marathon
Encyclopedia
The Namibian 24h Ultra Marathon is a 24 hour ultramarathon
that takes the participants through one of the oldest deserts on earth, the Namib Desert
. The race is a 126 km, a distance equivalent to three marathons, self reliant race where participants must carry their own equipment (food, clothes, water, GPS, maps etc see kit list).
Participants in the gruelling foot
race
cover 126 km, a distance equivalent to three marathons, in 24 hours. During the day the heat in the desert can reach above 45 degrees Celsius, and at night the temperature can drop as low as 0 degrees Celsius.
The race was inaugurated in April 2008 and will be a yearly event.
The winner the second year was Darren Roberts (in 20h 28min), narrowly beating Tom Adams. In the end only one minute separated the two. Emma Rogan came in as first woman, and fourth overall, on 21h 27min.
In 2010 Tom Adams came back to Namibia and did win the race with a new course record of 14 hours 1 minute. Alexandra O'Donovan came third overall and first woman and also set a new course record with 18 hours 11 minutes.
In 2009, Helen Skelton
, presenter of popular British children's television show Blue Peter
, became the second woman to complete the course.
or MdS, a race through the Sahara
desert over six days, covering more than five marathons.
Marathon Des Sables. A new 126 km ultra marathon is following the Namibian Ultra Marathon format and is launching in 2011, Grand Canyon 24h Ultra.
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
that takes the participants through one of the oldest deserts on earth, the Namib Desert
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means "vast place"...
. The race is a 126 km, a distance equivalent to three marathons, self reliant race where participants must carry their own equipment (food, clothes, water, GPS, maps etc see kit list).
Participants in the gruelling foot
Foot
The foot is an anatomical structure found in many vertebrates. It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows locomotion. In many animals with feet, the foot is a separate organ at the terminal part of the leg made up of one or more segments or bones, generally including claws...
race
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
cover 126 km, a distance equivalent to three marathons, in 24 hours. During the day the heat in the desert can reach above 45 degrees Celsius, and at night the temperature can drop as low as 0 degrees Celsius.
The race was inaugurated in April 2008 and will be a yearly event.
Results
The winner of the first Namibian Ultra Marathon, Tom Maguire, finished the race in 17 hours and 15 minutes.The winner the second year was Darren Roberts (in 20h 28min), narrowly beating Tom Adams. In the end only one minute separated the two. Emma Rogan came in as first woman, and fourth overall, on 21h 27min.
In 2010 Tom Adams came back to Namibia and did win the race with a new course record of 14 hours 1 minute. Alexandra O'Donovan came third overall and first woman and also set a new course record with 18 hours 11 minutes.
In 2009, Helen Skelton
Helen Skelton
Helen Skelton is an English television presenter. She has worked on the BBC children's programme Blue Peter since 2008...
, presenter of popular British children's television show Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
, became the second woman to complete the course.
Other desert marathons
Other desert marathons include the world famous Marathon Des SablesMarathon des sables
The Marathon des Sables is a six-day, ultramarathon, which is the equivalent of six regular marathons. The longest single stage is long....
or MdS, a race through the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
desert over six days, covering more than five marathons.
Marathon Des Sables. A new 126 km ultra marathon is following the Namibian Ultra Marathon format and is launching in 2011, Grand Canyon 24h Ultra.