I wrote a brief summary below and the pics tell the story in a way words never could.
I am in the middle in the pic with Albert on my right and Walter to my left. Our accomodations were the tent you see me sitting in.


I participated in the Marathon Des Sables (MDS) in Morocco which started March 27 and ended April 6. I was invited by extreme runner Albert Martens of Steinbach to join him and Walter Unrau from Mitchell to take the challenge of finishing what many say is the toughest footrace on earth. During the MDS, we ran through some of the most beautiful, remote sections of the Moroccan Sahara while carrying a backpack with essential gear, food, sleeping bag and clothing for the week. The race organizers provided water (generally nine liters per day) and a traditional, two-sided Berber tent each night for sleeping during the seven days of racing. Traditionally there are six stages over the seven days, with the first three daily stages set at thirty to forty kilometers each. The first stage was cancelled due to a flash flood that washed out roads and the camp for day 1. Our first day of racing was in the famous Erg Chebbi dunes which reach heights of one hundred and fifty meters and are very difficult to navigate on foot. Due to the canceling of stage one the traditional long stage on day three was lengthened from seventy to ninety one kilometers. This was the longest stage in the twenty four year history of the MDS. Walter and I completed this stage in twenty one hours and twenty three minutes. We raced right through the night on some of the most challenging terrain of the entire race. The final forty kilometers of the ninety one km stage featured towering sand dunes, a mountain pass and extremely rocky terrain for the final twenty five kilometers. These all had to be navigated at night with only a small headlight for visibility. Competitors are allowed thirty six hours to complete the long stage so we were able to rest and patch up our blisters for the final day which was a forty two kilometer official marathon distance. The final forty two kilometers was very grueling and painful as I was running on badly blistered feet yet as the finish line drew near the pain was forgotten. Albert Martens who had to take himself out of the race on day two due to severe dehydration met us at the finish line and was our cheerleader for the duration of the race. Approximately thirty five competitors did not complete this years race. Extreme temperatures, rough terrain, sleeping on the desert floor and carrying a ten-twelve kilogram backpack make this a very challenging race. The mental challenge is a large part of the race and thousands of thoughts go through your mind as you face the brutal conditions of the Sahara wilderness. As I reflect back on my experience I am realizing that this was a life altering time in my life. It is difficult to describe how it feels to push yourself to the limit physically and mentally day after day. I am very grateful for the support I received from my wife Rhonda my kids and all of my friends.
Running this brutal sand marathon for personal satisfaction and facing the challenge of completing one of the toughest footraces in the world is only part of the story. In addition to the personal challenge we dedicated the run to a fund raising event in support of water wells in Africa. We are continuing to receive funds for this worthwhile cause and thank all of our donors for their generosity.

You Da Man!

Congratulations Dale, on your accomplishments. Must have been a fabulous experience.

I would like to think your stamina is from the W-e blood (I used to run while working)... but it may be from the other W-h blood. None of your second cousins here run, however 2 of their wives do.

Dale, congrats! Great stamina! But ouch for the toes! calledoutPTL

congrats Dale; I respect runners.

On sand? Hot sand? That means that you are running 3 inches straight up out of the sand each and every step of the way. That takes umph.

Congratulations! I viewed your album on Facebook (thank you Peter)! It is my dream to run such a marathon!

Congratulations! That looks brutal.
One of my friends is doing the 1/2 ironman in Fl in a couple weeks. He is mid to upper 50's and did it last year and beat all his sons and son in laws and nearly qualified for the ironman.

Wow, you are tough!

I just watched the movie Babel, which is set in Morocco, and those pictures look exactly like scenes from the movie. I thought it looked like the most desolate place in the world. Before you left I was going to email you and tell you you could still get out of it, but I forgot. Forgive me. Maybe I could have saved you from this. However, I can certainly respect what it took for you to complete this marathon. It's amazing.

muther i appreciate your effort to persuade me to stay home! I have never been in a more desolate part of the world. I found myself mesmerized by the rugged and totally desolate world around me. I wouldnt trade the experience for the world.

Have you seen the movie I mentioned? You should watch it if you haven't. It stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. The movie is a little odd, but I usually like movies for the sense of traveling to a new place. I never knew Morocco was such a barren country. The third picture that you posted is almost exactly a replica of a number of scenes in the movie. It looks like it could be the same spot. No doubt a good deal of the terrain looks exactly like that.

I have not seen Babel and will put it on my to do list for the summer holidays.
Morocco is a popular country in the film industry.

Check my facebook for more pics if you like.