Distance: 90km / 54m

This is a two-day stage.  Competitors started Thursday morning and have until 3pm Friday to finish.  Most will continue to run through the night, some will stop to sleep along the way.

Camp White Tower to Camp El Ris Village

Camp El Ris, 4:40pm, Day 2 -  67 year old Kazu Isomura just crossed the finish line to rousing cheers from all competitors and staff al with the sweep camels following behind.  Competitors have just been briefed on the logistics for the final Stage 6.  This will involve a 2am bus trip back to Cairo where the final 11km will be staged.  The finish line will be in front of the Sphinx by the Pyramids in Giza.

Camp El Ris, 2pm on Day 2 - Four competitors are still on course.  Kondou of Japan, Chalmers and Johnston of Scotland and Isomura of Japan.  All are making their way from the last checkpoint.  It is hot out and no breeze. Extra checkpoint tents have been set up around camp to provide extra shade.  Most competitors are relaxing, sleeping or chatting, it is too hot to do much more.  Some have ventured into the little village below to seek out fresh bread or other goodies or are trying to bathe in the small spring below camp.  There is a crowd outside the medical tent of people having their injuries nursed.  Lot's of gruesome blisters being tended to.  The doctors have started ringing the cow bell every time they get a good one.

Camp El Ris, 9am on Day 2 - 9 competitors are still on course. Most of these competitors took naps at one of the last two CPs and are already on their way to camp.  Competitors trickled in all night.  Martyn Sawyer said the last stage was brutal, coming down a sharp embankment and then winding around through a village in the dark.  He arrived shortly after 2am.  Kim Barrett and Erin McGrew were the last to arrive in the early morning hours when they crossed at 4:40am.  Frank Alvarez and Danny Jones just came across at 8:40am after having walked all night. Preliminary results will be posted shortly.

Camp El Ris Village, 11:00pm - As of 10:45pm, only 7 runners have crossed the finish line of Stage 5 and everybody else is still on course.  It was a long day but  the pace was brisk.  Competition was fierce right from the start between the top three, Jimmi Olsen of Denmark, Francesco Galanzino of Italy and Ahn Byeung Sik of Korea.  The three ran together through the first checkpoint and then quickly split with Olsen pulling out ahead.  By mid-day, he had an 8 minute lead on Galanzino while Ahn had fallen back looking quite tired.  The other upset of the day was Team History Channel minus Danny Moy.  Hunter Ellis and Michael Prstojevich who were placed in the the 6am departure group because of lower rankings, set a blistering pace and immediately put an hour between themselves and other runners.  Despite this, Olsen, who started 3 hours later, managed to catch up with them in the final section and finished Stage 5 five minutes ahead.  Olsen is the winner of Stage 5 having gained 20 minutes on Galanzino who came in second.  (This makes for a very exciting Stage 6 competition between the two as they now stand 2  minutes apart.) Claire Price came in fourth again placing first for women.  The other runners who have now finished stage 5 are Nicola Bennetti (Italy) and Ahn Byeung Sik (Korea).  Competitors have a 12:30am cut-off time at CP19 where they can then stay the night if they wish.  As of now, many competitors are choosing to keep moving so are expected to be crossing the line all night long.  Spirits seem to be good on the course but most look weary and many are complaining of foot problems.  Stage 5 will last through tomorrow so competitors who finish early have substantial rest time.

We will be updating the website tonight and early tomorrow and will post results as soon as we have a top 30.  As of now, most of the bloggers are on course, so all blogs will be posted tomorrow morning.  We will also be posting pictures and other updates throughout the day.

Camp White Tower, 9:00am - The top 20 racers are now setting off on today's course.  Competitors ranked from 21 thru 55 have a 3-hour head start as they were off in the dawn light at 6am.  Team History Channel has now split and is only running with two members.  They are currently leading the 6am start pack. Danny Moy, who came to the race with an injured ankle is now suffering toe problems and was pulled from the race for medical reasons.  The team did their utmost in trying to figure out how to get Danny to the finish line without him having to walk on his one foot, but in the end, threw in the towel and set off with two.  Everyone is cautiously optimistic about today...it will be a flat course but mentally tough.  The first runners are expected to finish sometime before midnight and the cut-off time for everyone else is 3pm tomorrow.  We will be reporting periodically throughout the day and night.

NOTE:  The finish line will be by the Sound & Light Show in front of the Sphinx on Saturday.  If you are coming to the finish line to cheer, you can enter the pyramids by the gate here. Finishing times are currently expected to be between 10am-1pm but please check back tomorrow and we will advise if this is to change.

Camp White Tower - 6am start for rankings 21 thru 55.  9am start for the top 20.