Marathon des sables... final stage!

After an enchanting sunset at the foot of the Merzouga dunes, and concert given by a counter-tenor and sextet from the Opéra de Paris here on the bivouac, 727 competitors set off on the final stage of the 22nd MARATHON DES SABLES. By way of warm-up they had a demonstration of the New Zealand Haka, beautifully demonstrated by 5 Kiwi competitors. A real boost for this last stage!The stage involved crossing the dunes of erg Chebbi, known more commonly as the Merzouga dunes. They’re the highest in Morocco. The leading runners set off at a rapid pace, eager to get back home. Some dream of a cool beer, others a pizza and all, no doubt, of a good old shower. Mohamad AHANSAL is first over the finish line, just at the exit of the dunes. He ran the 11.7 Km in just 50’48 ‘’ and comes in brandishing a card with the number 53 in homage to Bernard Julé (D53). He’s followed by brother Lahcen who secures his 10th MDS victory… earning the title « Prince of the Desert ». Aziz EL AKAD (MOR), the revelation of this edition, comes in third. On the women’s side, Didi TOUDA (MOR-D6) and Laurence FRICOTTEAUX (FR-D347) cross the finish line hand in hand, the Moroccan draped in the national flag. Anna SUTTON (GB D546) puts in a great performance and takes 3rd place. Little change in the general rankings however : Laurence FRICOTTEAUX wins the women’s race, an extraordinary achievement for her first ever MDS. The competitors cross the finish line steadily over a period of 3 and a half hours. The atmosphere is ecstatic and highly-emotional. Patrick Bauer gives each one a medal. Many, both men or women, shed a tear. Juan Oliveira Rodriguez (D572 SP) dances over the finish line, Véronique Matur (FR D229) screams with joy before bursting into tears. Bjorn Lawton (D710 GB) is only too happy to wait to get his photo taken with Patrick Bauer. A spirit of solidarity reigns, and the rankings seem less important : Mark Hopkins (GB D687) gets in 11 minutes ahead of his fellow firefighters but insists on waiting before crossing the line. Fight together, finish together, that’s the spirit many on this race can identify with. A particularly warm welcome is reserved for blind runner Odile Hochard and her guide Gérard Delavaud. She dedicates her medal to Gerard. They completed the stage in under 3 hours ! The last competitor is Shigeru TOMIYAMA (JAP D472). It took him 3h36’’. From first to last, they’re all winners, they all get the same medal.