One Month Countdown to the Gobi March...250km Ultra-Marathon in China

Today is May 27th which marks one month until the start of the next stage of my 4Deserts Challenge, the Gobi March in Western China. The format of the race will be the same as the others: 250km in 6 days, carrying our own gear and rationed to 9 litres of water per day. 

Due to the uprisings in Kashgar last year, this year's race has been moved to the Turpan Basin, outside of the city of Urumqi in the Xinjiang Province and a stone's throw from the ancient Silk Road. The race course contains the second lowest place on Earth, the hottest place in China and the most distant point from an ocean in the world.

The Turpan Basin has a hot and arid continental climate in which the precipitation is far less than the potential evaporation. July is the hottest month with an average maximum temperature of 39.7°C (103.5°F). The annual average precipitation is less than 2 cm. In contrast to this, the potential annual evaporation rate reaches 3 m. Because of its climate, the area is sometimes counted as one of the Furnaces of China or more commonly as "the Oven." 

Just to the north of the Himalayas, which blocks most of the rain-carrying clouds from ever reaching the Gobi, the course is expected to reach an altitude of about 3,000 meters / 9,800 and will pass through diverse landscape which will include the Flaming Mountains, vineyards, sand dunes and canyons, among other spectacular landscape.

Here's a little youtube preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjZxgQwHwGg&feature=related

I'm still in the midst of sorting out my visa and last minute food preparations so stay tuned.

Good running!

Rp