Xinhuanet China
The 31st Marathon des Sables kicked off on Sunday in Morocco’s southern city of Merzouga with the participation of 1,100 runners from all over the world.
The runners will spend six days crossing over 250kms of difficult desert terrain. The ultra-marathon is open to runners and walkers, to individuals and teams, and to amateur and elite runners, including a number of trail world champions.
In this marathon, that has been dubbed as the toughest footrace on Earth, participants must be self-sufficient carrying everything they need in a pack. Water is provided but rationed and a tent (bivouac) is provided each evening that must be shared with seven other participants.
Over 30 years, some 19,000 runners have taken part in this marathon.
