3° Oman Desert Marathon: Second stage report and results

The start line of the second stage is just next to a very high dune, and the basecamp faces it, reminding all the time to the participants what they will face the next day. The start time was at 6.30 AM, just a few minutes after the sunrise. The mild temperature helped the runners to climb this high dune and the course followed its crest for about 4 kilometers, this section is a continuous up and down of small soft dunes. This kind of sand is the most difficult it run in, a lot of energy is needed and only the top runners were able to run all the time. Most of the participants alternated slow running and fast walking in this part of the course. This section is also challenging from the strategic point of view: a good course navigation can avoid losses of energies and can save precious minutes of time.

The top runners group split in 2 parts in this section. Salamah Aaqra and Rashid Al Murabiti  chosen to cross the dunes passing one side, Evgini Glyva decided for a more direct trajectory on the crest of the dunes. The choice of the Ukrainian paid off and gave him a good advantage.  A big descent marks the end of this type of ground and the beginning of small red dunes with desert grass and goats. After other 4 kilometers of this type of ground the runners got to a immense plateau of compact sand and small stones: the bed of a dry lake, the perfect place where to run fast. The slowest runners hit this part of the course when the sun was already high and the temperature increased dramatically. A check point in the middle of the plateau offers a shade and water for all the runners and a couple minutes of rest. The last section of stage 2 is characterized by small compact dunes with some vegetation, not as fast to run as the plateau but still a ground where is possible to run quite easily. This stage had an incredible variety of scenarios and sand colors, from red to gold. The big effort of all the participants was paid off by the always changing panorama.

 Rashid Al Murabiti  dominates again the podium with a finish time of 2h00’54’’ followed by the Ukrainian Evgini Glyva, with 2h02’57’’ and by the Omani Hamood Al Bahri with 2h09’00’’ first woman, the Swedish Elisabet Barnes with 2h36’’04’’.

Unfortunately the Omani Suleiman Salem had did not finish this stage for a mild dehydration and the Italian Fabio Segoni had to interrupt his race for the weight of is backpack. Both Suleiman and Fabio ad been assisted immediately by the support staff and they are safe and fine at the base camp. Tomorrow 28 km in a very hard stage, everything can happen

See the results and some pictures of the day