Racing through the Namib
250 km through desert terrain
Fifty men and women from all over the world are currently participating in the Namib Race 2022.
Adam Hartman
Fifty men and women between the ages of 20 and 68 and from 26 countries are currently racing through the Namib Desert as part of the Namib Race 2022.
The journey of 250 km through desert terrain started at Walvis Bay on Sunday morning (1 May) and will conclude this coming Saturday at around 09:00, when the frontrunners cross the finish line at Tiger Reef in Swakopmund.
RacingThePlanet is the race organizer behind the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series – a unique series of foot races that take place over seven days and some 250 kilometers in remote, stunning, and culturally rich locations around the world.
Competitors must carry all their own equipment and food, but are provided with water and a place in a tent every day. They are also supported by professional medical and operations teams.
The 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series encompasses the Atacama Crossing (Chile), Gobi March (Mongolia), Namib Race (Namibia), and The Last Desert (Antarctica). There is also a fifth RacingThePlanetUltra-marathon – a separate series that moves to a new location each year (this year it will be Lapland, Finland).
Past race locations include Vietnam, Namibia, Australia, Jordan, Nepal, Iceland, Madagascar, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Patagonia, New Zealand, and Georgia. Since the inaugural Gobi March in 2003, 67 races have been staged in 17 countries – with 10 000 individuals from 100 or more countries taking part in one or more races. “The physical and mental challenge, which it obviously is, pushes their limits – in a good way. It really is as hard as it sounds,” Riitta Hänninen of RacingThePlanet told Erongo 24/7.
She explained the race lasts over seven days and will consist of six stages, which end at camps along the 250 km-route. The races start at 08:00. For the first four days, the participants cover an area of 40 km. On Thursday (today), they are doing a long march of 80 km throughout the day and night – expected to take about 24 hours. The last ones are expected to arrive at camp on Friday morning. “When you get past this stage, it is already a celebration because once you get there, you know you are finished with the race and the last stage – after a long rest – is only 10 km to the finish line,” she said.
The race will take the participants across dunes, gravel plains, rocky areas, beaches, salt pans, and river beds, as well as the “moon valley”. Four people are set to complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam and seven people are going for the 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus. “There are many staff and participants who are participating in this series, and so this is also a nice reunion,” she said.
– [email protected]
Fifty men and women between the ages of 20 and 68 and from 26 countries are currently racing through the Namib Desert as part of the Namib Race 2022.
The journey of 250 km through desert terrain started at Walvis Bay on Sunday morning (1 May) and will conclude this coming Saturday at around 09:00, when the frontrunners cross the finish line at Tiger Reef in Swakopmund.
RacingThePlanet is the race organizer behind the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series – a unique series of foot races that take place over seven days and some 250 kilometers in remote, stunning, and culturally rich locations around the world.
Competitors must carry all their own equipment and food, but are provided with water and a place in a tent every day. They are also supported by professional medical and operations teams.
The 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series encompasses the Atacama Crossing (Chile), Gobi March (Mongolia), Namib Race (Namibia), and The Last Desert (Antarctica). There is also a fifth RacingThePlanetUltra-marathon – a separate series that moves to a new location each year (this year it will be Lapland, Finland).
Past race locations include Vietnam, Namibia, Australia, Jordan, Nepal, Iceland, Madagascar, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, Patagonia, New Zealand, and Georgia. Since the inaugural Gobi March in 2003, 67 races have been staged in 17 countries – with 10 000 individuals from 100 or more countries taking part in one or more races. “The physical and mental challenge, which it obviously is, pushes their limits – in a good way. It really is as hard as it sounds,” Riitta Hänninen of RacingThePlanet told Erongo 24/7.
She explained the race lasts over seven days and will consist of six stages, which end at camps along the 250 km-route. The races start at 08:00. For the first four days, the participants cover an area of 40 km. On Thursday (today), they are doing a long march of 80 km throughout the day and night – expected to take about 24 hours. The last ones are expected to arrive at camp on Friday morning. “When you get past this stage, it is already a celebration because once you get there, you know you are finished with the race and the last stage – after a long rest – is only 10 km to the finish line,” she said.
The race will take the participants across dunes, gravel plains, rocky areas, beaches, salt pans, and river beds, as well as the “moon valley”. Four people are set to complete the 4 Deserts Grand Slam and seven people are going for the 4 Deserts Grand Slam Plus. “There are many staff and participants who are participating in this series, and so this is also a nice reunion,” she said.
– [email protected]
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