21 Jan Stage 2 – 55 KM – The longest and hardest but also the most beautiful.
Stage Two – 55 km
Results:https://my.raceresult.com/274879/results
The longest and hardest but also the most beautiful.
The morning started with a thick fog over the desert, runners moved slowly from their tents to the start line, it was already the first climb of the day since the camp was settled in a valley. The early morning brought the first surprise, Mohamed el Morabity from Morocco, and one of the favorites, dropped the race due to an urgent family matter.
With a temperature of 18 degrees Celsius, stage two had to be delayed an hour due to visibility. It was not easy to see the flags to follow the route, therefore the runners had to start at 7:30 am instead of 6:30 am. Stage two, besides being the longest and the hardest of all stages, is also the most beautiful with the presence and immense sea of sand. Moderate dunes made participants go back on their steps when trying to ascend them, their determination and resistance was tested from approximately km 25. It was a good opportunity for the runners to admire the sharp form of the dunes as evidence of the direction the wind that shakes them.
At 7:30 am the restless runners started their journey followed closely by Oman Desert Marathon patrolling team, keeping a close distance was key as the fog was not completely gone from the desert an hour later. As soon as the sun dissipated the fog, runners were independent on the correct track. Quickly they scattered in the immensity of the desert and from the highest point it was possible to see gold color dunes and the flags at the distance was easy to see but also discouraging, as the flags seemed to be further away from each other than the 500 meters that separates them.
By 11:30 am the fog seemed a dream, already 26 celsius temperatures were a challenge for some of the european runners, the heat was eventually mitigated with the occasional but big cloud that provided the most needed shade that gave the runners a respite from the heat.
After Km 22 the presence of some Bedouin settlements and breeding areas for camels nearby, are common in the desert. Bidiyah is famous in the Gulf Countries as it is well known for its champions for Camel Racing. The temperature rose to 29 degrees and at the checkpoint at 30 km, Kathleen Leguin who did not feel good, the medical team checked her and made her feel comfortable, unfortunately although feeling better the pain in her left leg made her decide to drop out.
Morocco’s Rashid El Morabity came in first place in the male category with a finish time of 3:54:09 and Aziza El Amrany also from the Marrocco from the women’s side with a time of 6:04:15. Saleh Al saidi from Oman came in second place with a time of 8:31:06 and Aziza Raji from Morocco on the women’s side with a time of 8:31:07.
The paralympic runner from Spain pol Makuri and his team mate Albert Jorquera, also from Spain, completed successfully the hardest stage, arriving at the finish line at in 12:24:02, Pol words after crossing the finish line were: “The last part of the stage was endless but I have enjoyed very much, nature in the Omani desert is out this world”
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