Racing The Planet’s 4 Deserts event, Atacama Crossing, a 7-day self-sufficient foot race, is currently underway. Capetonian runner Ryan Sandes popularised this company’s 4 Desert Series here in SA when he won in Gobi and the Sahara (2008). News coming through this evening, at the end of Stage 1, sees Ryan in first place. Former Team Cyanosis member Erica Terblanche is also running. She has been living in the UK and is currently flitting between CT and London. Today she finished the first stage third in the ladies race. It’s nice to have two South Africans to follow. Good luck Ryan and Erica.
From Atacama Crossing
2:00 pm, Monday, 8 March, Stage 1: Ryan Sandes of South Africa has won Stage 1 of the Atacama Crossing 2010 in just over three hours. Eric Lahaie of the United States was not far behind in second place, followed by Chilean Rodrigo Errazuriz Reyes in third. Out of nowhere, Joanna Zakrzewski of Scotland won the women’s division and came in eight overall. Joanna lost her luggage on the way to Chile and is using all borrowed equipment and food. Ireland’s Diana Hogan-Murphy came in second and South Africa’s Erica Terblanche came in third. Canada’s Stan Lee looked strong, however, he said “It was a tough one, but the altitude did not affect me this year like it did last year.” Nick Anderson, a resident of Hong Kong, said as he finished “It was really really hot. The last 8 kilometers were just terrible; I was almost in tears.” The all female team from Chile is already through the second checkpoint approaching the third checkpoint. No one has withdrawn.
Image from Racing The Planet. Ryan is making a doccie – here he is being filmed.