Ille-et-Vilaine: Flora ran across the Moroccan desert

Flora Barry, aged 47, originally from Châteaubourg, near Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine)participated in Sand marathon with her friend Cathy Quenet. She tells about her adventure.

How to describe this event that resembles a streak of 6 marathons?

Marathon des Sables Legendary is actually equivalent 6 marathonsthere are 6 competition days with consecutive distances of 31 km, 41 km, 85.6 km, 43 km, 33 km and 21 km.

It’s a management race, because you have to endure the whole week with hydration management, carrying a bag of around 10-12 kg, the heat rising to 46°C at its hottest, life at the bivouac, the inevitable blisters, because the sand is very fine and fits the sneakers despite gaiters.

We have to alternate between walking and running, because the route is extremely varied, there are rocky plains, dry wadis, terrain we can run on, many sand dunes or ergs. You have to go up and down all the time and you sink into the sand.

There are also dry lakes, sand plains with soft ground and jebel, these small rocky mountains with sometimes technical descents and peaks.

Given the high number of participants, can we create special relationships with people?

Whether in bivouac or on stages, we are all in the same boat. With 60 nationalities different, all gathered with the same goal, everything is very simple, everyone talks to each other, encourages each other.

Our bibs have our first name and the flag from our country of origin, when someone drives past us or we drive past, we immediately know which language to speak.

We are like a big family, special mention to the staff who really take care of us.

Every morning before the start of the race we sing and dance. It is a unique atmosphere in the middle of the desert, at night or at sunrise, a community for all participants.

At the camp I was in a women’s tent, there were 8 of us including 5 French women, two Mexico and one from Hong Kongwe hit it off straight away and will keep in touch to maybe meet again in a few years about other challenges.

The support given to each other this week created special and unique bonds.

What do you pack in your bag for a day of racing?

We leave in total autonomy for a week, mattress, sleeping bag, outfit, food, bowl, pellets. Every morning we have to leave the tent empty.

The bag must weigh between 6.5 kg and 15 kg, mine was 9.5 kg without water and 11 kg with water. The heaviest is freeze-dried food. Everything is calculated, every day we have to leave with at least 2000 calories.

From step 3 the bag got lighter and off step 4I got to put my sleeping bag in the bag (otherwise it was tied under the bag).

For me, carrying the bag was the most difficult part, especially on the first two stages.

What are the living conditions like at the bivouac?

Everyone brings their own food for a week, there are very good freeze-dried meals, we also had coffee pods for the morning.

Every day we have a box 5 liters of water which serves us for our meals, our toilet and our drinks. We use wet wipes for hygiene and detergents are very limited.

We sleep on our mattresses deck or foam. The first three nights were a bit chilly from 2am onwards, the following were quite warm.

The nights were short from 20.00 to 16.00.

The last two nights we had a sandstormwe were covered in sand and all our belongings too.

Does the cost of participation (around €4,000, including flights) seem a bit high?

The cost of this race may indeed seem high, but completely justified in light of deployed logisticsthe bivouac is set up in the middle of the desert every day.

We have to transport the tents, the medical equipment, the runners. There are 20 trucks, 78 vehicles, 1 helicopter, we will handle energy, waste, security, circuit marking, medical assistance.

There are 380 employees for more than 900 runners, including 80 people from the medical field. This year, the organizer created 80 positions for locals.

To reduce my costs, I had the chance to be sponsored by La Collecte Médicale, the company I have worked for since 2011, based in Chateaubourg and who trusted me.

What moments stood out for you?

Arrival at the bivouac on the first day. We get off the bus and the staff and Berber make us an honor guard as we sing and we walk a red carpet.

Each stage finish is a small victory filled with emotions. Then we refocus on the next day, because anything can happen and nothing is won until the final stage. Every morning in the starting airlock, the musical ritual with all the runners will remain a memorable memory.

Each arrival at checkpoint about every 10-12 km with the welcome of the staff who took care of us, it was amazing. The staff fills our bottles, then we go to the shower. They douse us with ice water, our hair, hood, neck, and we leave ourselves fresh for about twenty minutes until it dries.

Any thanks?

Yes of course, I am very grateful for that Medical collectionmy friends from UA Châteaubourg with whom I have run for 13 years, Joggers du Couesnon and Je Cours à Rennes for their support during training and of course my husband who supported me in this challenge.

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