Team Geared Up » desert

Irish in Bejing Ready for Gobi March

Aisling Coppinger — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:30:29 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) You’re probably sick of me blogging about this, but hey….what you gonna do about it?! ;-)
Tony Kiernan, Eugene Coppinger, Liam O’ Riain and Paul Moran of Endurance Racers are now in Bejing preparing for a long journey Saturday to Kashgar. They’ll camp there Saturday night and begin the Gobi March for real on Sunday morning. Last Sunday we had a meeting and all the gear was checked and weighed (including the runners themselves!) Each runner’s pack averages about 10kg, which is heavy enough but it will get lighter each day as they eat the food!
Here’s how each day breaks down:
Stage 1: Canyons, Camels and Gobi (38 kilometers)
Stage 2: Mars in the Gobi (40 kilometers)
Stage 3: The Farmlands of Langerville (40 kilometers)
Stage 4: Fast Track to Heaven (42 kilometers)
Stage 5: The Long March (79 kilometers)
Stage 6: The Final Steps to the Tomb of Kashgary (12 kilometers)

I’ll keep you posted as to how they’re getting on or you can follow them over here. Big thanks to Mick Bulger for all his hard work on their website. He’s covered everything!

-Aisling-

The image (from my flickr set) is them during a group hug last Sunday. Wonder how long they’ll be smiling? ;-)

Website Launch of Irish Gobi March Competitors

Aisling Coppinger — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:51:36 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) Olympic hopefuls, Dean Karnazes and a controversial torch aren’t the only things making preparations for getting to China this Summer. A group of experienced Irish ultrarunners, I think I just might know one or two of them ;-) , have been making preparations for Racing the Planet’s Gobi Challange. Long hours on the hills with heavy backpacks, long hours spent on the internet finding appropriate gear/ bags/ sleeping bags/ food and long hours spent racing every ultra available to them have meant that the gang are almost all set for the Irish assault on this 4deserts challenge. They recently launched their website, Endurance Racers, thanks to Rathfarnham WSAF’s Mick Bolger (and fellow Rotterdam marathon competitior), and are looking for donations for the Harold’s Cross Hospice.
Some info on the race:

It covers 257km/160 miles (in sections similar to 40, 42, 45, 40, 80, 10 km) run over 6 days (7 for some) - equivalent to 6 regular marathons. In addition to that, competitors have to carry everything they will need for the duration (apart from a tent) on their backs in a rucksack (food, clothes, medical kit, sleeping bag etc). Water is rationed and handed out at each checkpoint.

The gang are Tony Kiernan (my husband!), Eugene Coppinger (my brother and coach!), Liam O’ Riain (Bestest Mate Ever!) and Paul Moran (crossed the line with me in the Connemara Ultra the year I won!).

On the 5th day, you will set off across the barren wilderness to complete a 50 mile stage. Few people complete this before dark that evening and some will not come in till after dark the next night. Its tough, so don’t say that nobody warned you in the strongest terms.

Best of luck!

-Aisling-

Conclusion of Marathon des Sables and Atacama Crossing 2008

Aisling Coppinger — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:00:38 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) My favourite part of watching the Marathon des Sables unfold every year is the finish line photos. It’s just the most incredible raw human emotion, after a week of intense struggle. Gets me every time. ;-) Results here.

Moroccan competitor Mohamad Ahansal won his second Marathon des Sables, treating himself to a stage victory, and the crowd to a splendidly accrobatic cartwheel on the finish line in Tazzarine. After a long series of MDS coming second after his brother Lahcen, this child of Zagora demonstrated this year a great strategic sense. He took a clear lead on the first stage, gaining 17 minutes over his challengers, and then simply kept control over them. Despite his best efforts, Jordanian runner Salameh Al Aqraâ€™ could never make up for his stage one defeat, although we owe him much of this weekâ€™s excitement. Just like last year, Aziz El Akad won a well deserves third rank.

Another stage event just finished is the 4deserts Atacama Crossing. It got lots of attention this year with Dean Karnazes running (and winning!). He even kept a Runners World blog going:

The past week had been brutal, beautiful, and at points (like when faced with a 500-foot sand dune after 40 miles of running) seemingly impossible

Congrats to Irishmen Joseph Kelly, Shane O’ Rourke, Rossa O’ Donnell and James McQuillan who finsihed 4th, 6th, 26th and 48th respectively. Brilliant running! Next stage event in the 4deserts series is the Gobi March in which some of our Wednesday Night Runners are taking part…..

-Aisling-

Photo from Darbaroud.com

Ten Irish Running in the 23rd Marathon des Sables 2008

Aisling Coppinger — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:00:26 +0000

DUBLIN, IRELAND (Team Geared Up) It’s right up there with all the things you have to do before you die. It’s one of the classic stage races. It has all the ingredients of an incredible endurance event; the heat, the struggle, the dunes, the self sufficiency, the mangled feet and the torturously long stages. This year’s event kicked off over the weekend with a 13km opening stage. Sounds like a walk in the park for the leader Mohamad Ahansal who did it in 2 and a half hours!

A less pleasant surprise for Jordan Salameh El Aqraâ€™ who found the course harder than expected and also had to deal with tummy trouble. Today the Marathon des Sables was particularly worthy of its name: sand was on the menu, starter, main and pudding. And itâ€™s only the beginningâ€¦

It’s one of those classic events that every ultra runner seems to want to do. I’ll hopefully get my chance in 2010 as I’m on the waiting list. Hopefully the gear technology will have advanced so much by then that my bag and it’s contents will weigh next to nothing! ;-)

There are ten Irish competitors listed this year so best of luck to them!

-Aisling-

Qoute and images from Darbaroud.com.