MdS Stage 3 - Status quo in the desert winds
Gone were the really high temperatures of the previous two stages, however runners on stage 3 of the 2012 Marathon des Sables had to cope with high winds making visibility and breathing conditions at lot more difficult…
Still, there was no change at the front of the men’s and women’s races as Morocco’s Rachid El Morabity and French female runner Laurence Klein won the stage and extended their leads in the overall competition.
An MdS release states:
“In extreme conditions, the 34 competitors present on the start line struggled against a strong wind, heads down, glasses and buffs firmly set to face the sand storm: an exhausting and trying day.”
“Rachid El Morabity and his main challenger, the Jordanian runner Salameh Al Aqra, were far ahead for the whole length of the leg. And once again, the Moroccan champion won. Same story in the ladies’ race where Laurence Klein, from Reims, has an absolute leadership.”
The team have also produced an excellent film on the immense amount of organisation that goes into this event, with a time-lapse on the tear-down and transfer of tents and technical equipment – watch it here
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