Expats prepare for China’s ultra-marathon: the Gobi March

The Gobi March is the first event in the epic 4 Deserts outdoor racing series hosted annually by RacingThePlanet. The ultra-marathon event takes competitors to three deserts—the Gobi in Asia, the Atacama in South America and the Sahara in Africa—before culminating in a 250 kilometer trek in the world’s harshest continent: Antarctica. The 4 Deserts challenge, and particularly the Gobi March, compels competitors to persevere through the most intense of physical and mental challenges. “I tell people that the Gobi Desert has the most extreme weather of any place in the world,” says CEO and Founder of RacingThePlanet Mary Gadams.

The Gobi March is a footrace across 150 miles of the Gobi Desert. The race consists of six stages, lasting seven days, with distances ranging from 10 to 50 miles per stage. Competitors are required to be fully self-supported throughout the event and must carry all their own food, gear and clothing. So far, 200 competitors from over 20 nations have signed on to meet in Kashgar on June 17 for the Gobi March.

Although the race is a test of personal endurance, a key motivation for organizers and competitors is the uniqueness and individuality of the environments themselves and the cultures living therein. “I wanted to start a world-class outdoor series around the world that gave individuals an opportunity to explore the remaining pristine wilderness and also interact with some of these unique vanishing cultures,” says Gadams. “The highlights of the Gobi March are the cultures, the diverse and pristine landscapes [and] meeting people who have never met a foreigner before.”

Over the next few pages, meet China's toughest expats and learn what motivates them to put their minds and bodies through one of the most grueling races on earth.

Will Laughlin

Director of business development, Vive! Inc.

Where do you live?

I just moved to Boulder, Colorado from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Why the Gobi March?

I’m fascinated by China —such a huge, ancient, diverse country—and I can't imagine having anything but an epic adventure while there. I also have two nieces who were adopted from China they’re my god daughters and I absolutely love them. One is from the Gobi area, so I’m dedicating this race to Nikki.

How much racing experience do you have?

I have been an athlete for many years—surfing, skiing, rowing, rock-climbing—but I'm definitely a rank beginner at competitive running and ultra-marathons.

What training are you doing to prepare?

During the year, I just do four weekday runs of 60-90 minutes at moderate intensity; I then do a long, slow run of three or four hours on the weekend. I also lift weights and do some core strength work. This weekend I did a practice 50 mile race, so I'm a little sore! I have a coach now—a great runner by the name of Ray Zahab. He and I met in the Sahara.

Martyn Sawyer

Group general manager, properties and clubs, Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. (The Peninsula Hotels)

Where do you live?

I live on Hong Kong Island in Repulse Bay.

Why the Gobi March?

I completed in the Sahara Race 2006 and the Gobi March is the next one.

How much racing experience do you have?

The Sahara was the first race / ultra-marathon I've done. I will celebrate my 50th birthday on June 19 during the Gobi.

What sort of training are you doing?

I am doing two strength training sessions in the gym per week, one long hill run on Saturdays (25/30 km) and then another 20 km per week in shorter runs.

What do you see as your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge will be the altitude and the strong winds.

What are you looking forward to in the race?

I am looking forward to the stunning views and to see how it compares to my experiences in the Sahara. I am also supporting a charity in my races and have set a target of HK$1,000,000 for the four races. I raised HK$360,000 on the Sahara Race to benefit the Camp Quality Hong Kong for children with cancer.

If you'd like to donate, go to www.martynsdesertchallenge.com.

John McKenna

Managing drector, Travel the Real China

Where do you live?

I live in Shanghai. Originally, I’m from New Zealand but I’ve been an expat for 20 years, four of which have been in China.

Why the Gobi March?

I enjoy living in China and the Gobi Desert is something unique. It really is still an undiscovered paradise.

How much racing experience do you have?

None. I am a true newbie. I’ve done other sports and triathlons in the ‘80s. I was on the terrain last year in the motorcross race though. It was wild. I only stayed on about 50 percent of the time with many times flying over the handle bars. Two people died in the race.

What sort of training are you doing to prepare for the race?

I wake up at 4:00 a.m. Out the door by 5 and with my laptop I walk to various Internet cafes all over Shanghai. I check my e-mail do my business then pack up my laptop and walk to the next café. In all, I'm walking about four hours a day. I do this three times a week. So I’m at about 60-65 km per week but I’ll increase this next month to step up preparations for the race.

What do you see as your biggest challenge?

The food is a problem because I can’t get the stuff that is specially made for these kinds of events [in China]. I’ve been experimenting with Chinese food to get the right weight. I've got Chinese instant konji, tofu, instant soups, Chinese rubber candy and Chinese medicine.

Andrew Eldon

Pryde Group, a niche water-sports equipment manufacturer and distributor

Where do you live?

Hong Kong.

Why the Gobi March?

I originally volunteered on the Gobi March in 2005. I was living in Beijing at the time, but was just about to leave China. I had never made it to Xinjiang and this was a great way to get out there and explore in a very unconventional way. Volunteering on the race, I was inspired by the sheer determination of the competitors. I wondered if I was capable of doing something like that and almost immediately afterwards took up running and started training for the 2006 event. I guess I caught the bug, so here I am in 2007. My motivation this year is slightly different though. Last year was more of a personal challenge and although I did raise money for charity, that is my main focus this year. My target is to raise US$50,000 for the Room To Read organization who establish schools and libraries in the developing world.

What sort of training are you doing?

A typical training week is between 70-90 km. All with a 9-10 kg pack on. I expect to increase the weekly distance up to around 120-130 km as I peak before the race. I also do a couple of gym sessions during the week to strengthen my core and do a lot of stretching.

What do you see as being your biggest challenge of the event?

Mental flexibility. It's okay to have an idea about how you want to do in the race, but there are too many variables that can affect your performance. If you can't deal with the inevitable curve balls, then you'll have a terrible time and it's supposed to be fun.

What are you looking forward to?

Getting away from everything. By day three you barely know or care what day of the week it is. Your muscles ache, you're tired, but you feel incredible. I wouldn't call it a spiritual experience, but it certainly shifts your perspective.

Jacqui Hastie

Marketing manager，Rouse & Co. International

Where do you live?

I live in Beijing.

Why the Gobi March?

Annabell (who I am doing this event with) sold it to me over a few glasses of champagne at a dinner party. I thought it sounded like a good idea at the time!

What is your racing background / experience?

Nothing! Just a few fun running events, but nothing on this scale. Oblivion made it easier for me to sign up as I had no idea about the time or energy this event would take.

What sort of training are you doing to prepare?

As much as possible. Given that I work full time and live in Beijing it’s really hard to get in enough hours and to mix up the terrain. Most days I try to drag myself to the gym for one hour in the morning then go again for about two hours in the evening doing cardio—running and hill walking. A lot of this is done with my pack on with 10 kg of rice in it.

What do you see as being your biggest challenge?

I am anxious about the two day section when we are walking through the night without sleep. I’m directionally challenged on my best days, so walking through the desert fatigued, hungry, hot and sleep deprived in the dark is going to be interesting! I am hoping I might come across a stray camel to ride on this section.

What are you looking forward to in the race?

To be honest I’m really looking forward to finishing—I’m sure that feeling of crossing the line will be very emotional.

Fast Fact Rundown

The Gobi March is held annually in honor of three Christian missionaries—Mildred Cable and Eva and Francesca French —who crossed the Gobi Desert five times approximately 100 years ago. In her 1943 book, "The Gobi Desert," Cable remarked, “Five times we traversed the whole length of the desert, and in the process we had become part of its life."

Every competitor must wear a lighted glow stick after sundown.

In 1998, the Gobi March was the first ever sporting event in China’s Gobi Desert.

Competitors in the Gobi March will sleep in 10-person co-ed tents.

A local family will live among the competitors and assist with the campfire.

Competitors may be subject to backpack checks at any stage of the race and missing items will lead to time penalties.

In 2006, the youngest competitor was 22-years-old and the oldest was 67-years-old. The average age of competitors was 38.

Registration is now open for any of the desert races excluding The Last Desert in Antarctica, which is an invitation-only event.

The Details

Racing for charity: Operation Smile, a Gobi March recipient, is an international charity founded in 1982 to provide medical aid for children ravaged by deformities. According to RacingThePlanet's Mary Gadams, competitors in the Gobi March raised more than US$300,000 for Operation Smile projects in China through their participation. Several competitors are also competing for other worthy causes, including the literacy organization Room to Read and a Hong Kong-based charity for children with cancer, Camp Quality. Check www.operationsmile.org, www.roomtoread.org or www.campquality.org for details.

If you are interested in testing your limits, check out www.racingtheplanet.com for race details and registration information.