Temperatures to Rise as the 4 Deserts' Gobi March 2010 returns to China’s Oven
(Hong Kong, 10 June 2010) As the Gobi March 2010 heads to “the Oven” – the hottest place in China – the 165 RacingThePlanet competitors from 30 countries will experience soaring temperatures and extreme weather, adding to the already challenging nature of the 250 kilometre rough-country footrace.
Five years ago, temperatures reached as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 F) and with this year’s race taking place in June instead of April, competitors could be racing in similar if not hotter temperatures.
“The competitors are going to find the heat in the Gobi Desert oppressive. It’s not humid, but below sea-level it can be stifling when there’s no breeze. They will also have to prepare for the worst as the weather is so unpredictable in the Gobi, storms can blow up from nowhere and temperatures can vary wildly between night and day and in different areas along the 250 kilometre course. Couple this with the changing terrains the competitors will face and the race will be a stern test of good preparation and adaptability,” said Founder of RacingThePlanet, Mary Gadams.
For the past seven years, RacingThePlanet has hosted the Gobi March, the second in the annual 4 Desert series, in China’s Xinjiang province. Each race in the series takes place over seven days, with six stages totaling 250 kilometres. Competitors are self-supporting and, with the exception of water and a tent, carry all of their required equipment and food for the duration of the race.
The grueling yet rewarding challenge of the series sees competitors of all ages, nationalities and racing abilities compete. In 2010 a record 17 Chinese competitors will take part in their “home” race, with a total of 51 participants who are resident in Greater China.
“It’s great to see so many Chinese participants at this year’s Gobi March. It’s also fascinating to see such a range of experience, ages and backgrounds amongst them. All but three are new to the 4 Deserts, and it reinforces our belief that RacingThePlanet reaches beyond cultural and social norms and taps a primal need in human beings to sometimes push themselves way beyond their accustomed physical and psychological comfort levels. In the 4 Deserts every competitor faces the same test,” Gadams continues.
Top contenders in the race include Peter Osterwalder, 45, from Switzerland who finished second in the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2009. 57-year old Johan Petersen from New Zealand is also expected to put in a strong showing, after his sixth-placed finish in RacingThePlanet: Namibia 2009, the annual roving race outside of the 4 Deserts series. Josep Maria Romero Parra, 43, from Spain is another athlete to watch, having finished eighth among an extremely strong field in the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2009.
That being said, there are a number of competitors new to the 4 Deserts who have impressive athletic backgrounds and more contenders are expected to emerge from the field, not least a couple of athletes sponsored by Gobi March 2010's partner Mountain Hardwear.
Covering an area of 50,000 square kilometers, the Turpan Depression is located in the Eastern part of the Tian Shan mountains, about 150 kilometres southeast of provincial capital Urumqi. In the centre of the basin lies the Aydingkol Lake, whose elevation of 155 metres below sea level makes it the second-lowest exposed land surface on the Earth’s after the Dead Sea.
Gadams concludes, “The Gobi March always has a special place in the RacingThePlanet calendar. It was the first race we ever staged back in 2003, and I’m thrilled to be taking the race back to the Turpan Depression – it’s a tough course in rough conditions and I think the competitors are going to find it a hard beast to tame!”
The race will be hosting a number of Chinese sport, travel and lifestyle journalists from both broadcast and print media outlets, and content will be distributed nationally and internationally during the event via satellite.
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