Sahara Race Press Release ...

Subject: Sahara Race (Egypt) 2008: Press Release
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 07:09:19 -0400
From: RacingThePlanet

Competitors from thirty countries are expected for the Sahara Race (Egypt) 2008, the third leg of the 4 Deserts series; a record field from six continents will participate, with top endurance athletes coming from Africa, North America, Asia and Europe.

The third leg of the 4 Deserts, also known as the "Race of No Return," is scheduled to begin on Sunday, 26 October in the remote Sahara Desert in Egypt. The Sahara Race 2008 will feature 170 competitors from thirty countries, 32 of whom are female. This year's event will take place between Bahariya and Farafra Oases. These oases are famed for the mummies discovered and for the unique white chalk formations that dot the landscape.

This year's Sahara Race again features some of the best endurance athletes in the world, as well as many who simply want to finish and raise money for a great cause. The field includes recent Gobi March 2008 champion, Ryan N. Sandes of South Africa; best-selling author and "Ultramarathon Man," Dean N. Karnazes of the United States; Gobi March 2006 champion, Byeung Sik Ahn of Korea; ex-Gurkha Rob D. James of Hong Kong; and eight-time Badwater veteran, 73-year-old Jack E. Denness of the United Kingdom, who is also the oldest in the event. The youngest in the event is 21-year-old Jon C. Miller of Canada.

The six teams participating include: Team Egypt – the first-ever local team from Egypt; Team Stanton from the United Kingdom; Team SiPA/Teko Socks from Denmark; Team Memento Vivere, an all female team from Wisconsin in the United States; Team Pura Vida, a mixed team from the United Kingdom; and Team Polar Bears, also from the United Kingdom.

The Sahara Race is the hottest in the 4 Deserts series with temperatures frequently reaching more than 45 degrees Celsius or 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Competitors will be required to pass through up to 30 checkpoints over six stages carrying all their own food, clothing and equipment for the week. The terrain will incorporate sand dunes, plateaus and oases along the course. Competitors must complete up to 250 kilometers, with Stage 5 expected to be nearly 100 kilometers; this stage is known as the "Black Desert March."

Competitors in the Sahara Race will have access to a cybertent which will feature fifteen Intel-powered aidstation laptops. RacingThePlanet has utilized these laptops for the past year, testing and validating the devices for use in rural schools. The laptops have become a key resource for the event. Breaking news from the field will be sent utilizing these Intel-powered laptops and BGAN satellites. The Pepsi-Cola Company (Egypt) will be supplying more than 10,000 bottles (1.5 liter) of water for the Sahara Race. The Pepsi-Cola Company (Egypt) has been involved with the Sahara Race since 2006. RacingThePlanet, the organizer of the Sahara Race, has raised US$45,000 to support a first-ever Operation Smile medical mission in Cairo, Egypt.

Throughout the world, Operation Smile medical volunteers repair childhood facial deformities while building public and private partnerships that advocate sustainable healthcare systems for children and families. Through RacingThePlanet and 4 Deserts events, more than US$500,000 has been raised for Operation Smile. The Sahara Race will be covered by the international media, with television shows produced for the leading networks in Korea including KBS and TBC, and with footage supplied to TransWorld Sports (IMG) for broadcast in more than 80 countries.

Website coverage of the Sahara Race (Egypt) 2008 can be found at www.4deserts.com/sahararace featuring hundreds of pictures, breaking news texts, daily journals, video clips, field updates and full results.

About RacingThePlanet RacingThePlanet Events Limited organizes the world's most prestigious outdoor events of their kind. RacingThePlanet® is a unique category of rough country footraces that take place over seven days and some 250 kilometers in remote and culturally rich locations around the world. Competitors must carry all their own equipment and food, are only provided with water and a place in a tent each day but are supported by professional medical and operations teams.

RacingThePlanet is international; the events typically involve competitors from over 20 different countries who are able to mingle around the campfires and in their geographically mixed tents. Currently the events consist of the 4 Deserts, a series which encompasses the Gobi Desert in China, the Atacama Desert of Chile, the Sahara Desert in Egypt and Antarctica, and a fifth event which roves to a new location each year. RacingThePlanet also maintains an online store which carries only the best products for endurance events, travel and the outdoors. The store can be found at http://www.racingtheplanet.com/. RacingThePlanet is headquartered in Hong Kong with representative offices in Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, Israel, South Africa, Chile, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Brazil.

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