The Marathon des Sables is widely regarded as the toughtest footrace on Earth. It is a seven-day, multi-stage race in the Moroccan Sahara, during which competitors must carry all their food, clothing and equipment across the ~150-mile course.
The Marathon des Sables was exercise physiologist Mark Hines' first excursion into the world of ultra-endurance adventure races. With a fitness background far removed from endurance fitness, this book catalogues his training, preparation and participation in his first great race. Whilst the subsequent titles on the Jungle Marathon and Yukon Arctic Ultra clearly demonstrate his own evolution into an accomplished ultra runner, the Marathon des Sables was where it all began. His training was unrefined and the equipment he chose far from the best, but this new reflective edition permits Mark to put into context all the decisions he made, and within the appendix can be found his true 'desired kit list' for such an event. Calling on his background as an exercise physiologist, Mark easily explains the adaptations involved in training for an ultra-endurance event. This culminates in an in-depth analysis of the 'athlete's heart', which is introduced within the main text but features in its entirety in the appendix. This chapter alone should be considered a must-read for anyone preparing to begin training to become an endurance runner. The Marathon des Sables is an incredible race, described in this book through the eyes of a novice racer, but one with an academic background that balances well with his natural approach to training.
