Race Coverage

Race Coverage

RACE Coverage

Gobi March Home

Who Is Participating in the Gobi March 2025?

We are thrilled to host the 19th edition of the Gobi March in the steppes of Mongolia and the edge of the Gobi Desert, where competitors will experience the rich and authentic culture of this breathtaking country—often called "The Land of Genghis Khan." This marks the 77th RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts Ultramarathon since its inception in 2003.

A Global Field of Competitors

This year's race features an inspiring and diverse group of athletes from all corners of the world. Let’s start with the numbers:

  • 31 countries represented
    • The United States has the highest number of competitors
    • Germany and South Korea follow closely behind
    • Other represented nations include Argentina, Greece, Morocco, Romania, and Taiwan, among others
    • Mongolia is well-represented with an elite runner and a three-person team
  • Male / Female Ratio
    • 69% male / 31% female
  • Age Spectrum
    • Youngest competitor: 24-year-old Kate Stiles (United States, currently residing in Uzbekistan)
      • 20% of racers are in their 20s or 30s
    • Oldest competitor: 66-year-old Martin Piróg (Poland)
      • Three others are also 66: Sanjjav Tsognemekh (Mongolia), Moonsu Chung (Korea), and Melissa Cleary (United States)
  • Experience Levels 
    • 61% of participants are racing their first-ever RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts Ultramarathon
    • 39% have previously completed at least one race
  • Returning Competitors
    • 11 racers have competed in the Gobi March before
      • 7 raced in Mongolia
      • 4 competed when the Gobi March was held in China (pre-2018)
    • 4 withdrew in previous editions but are back for redemption

Notable Participants & Achievements

  • 3 members of the prestigious 4 Deserts Club 
    • Sandy Suckling (Australia)
    • Mark Stiles (United States)
    • Jesse Yoo (Korea)
  • Additional 4 Deserts Club members among the staff and volunteers
    • Carlos Garcia (Spain) - Course Director
    • Jacqueline Eastridge (United States)
    • Colin Suckling (Australia)
  • Upcoming 4 Deserts Club inductees
    • These competitors will join the club upon completing the race, having already conquered the Atacama Crossing, the Sahara / Namib Race, and The Last Desert 
      • Dirk Diemont (South Africa)
      • Jasmine Lo (Taiwan)
      • Szilvia Lubics (Hungary)

Champions & Record Holders

  • Former RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Champions
    • Sandy Suckling (Australia)
    • Szilvia Lubics (Hungary)
  • RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Record Holder 
    • Jesse Yoo (Korea) – first person ever to complete the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series twice! o He has an astounding 22 RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts races under his belt, including the inaugural Gobi March in 2003—22 years ago!

Exciting Team Competition

  • Official Teams
    • Team Love, Love, Love (Brazil)
    • Team Untitled Stride (United States)
  • Group Teams
    • Fire Sign (Mongolia)
    • Aussie Gobi Grit (Australia)
  • Rule Changes in 2024
    • Official teams can now consist of two or more members 
    • Group Teams (3-5 members) can compete individually, with their average time determining rankings

Qualifying for Antarctica’s Ultimate Race 

  • 30 competitors will qualify for The Last Desert in Antarctica upon successful completion of the Gobi March 2025
  • The Last Desert is Antarctica’s only multi-stage race—the next edition (the 11th) will take place in November 2026

Top Contenders

While it’s possible to walk the entire course and still complete the race, the front-runners are incredibly fast.

  • A 40 km / 25-mile Stage will be completed in under 4 hours, with the top racers maintaining a speed of 10-12 km (6-7.5 miles) per hour 
  • The fastest competitors will likely finish the race in under 25 hours, while the rest will take 70+ hours

Projected Podium & Top 10 Finishers

  • Men
    • Dirk Diemont (South Africa)
    • Otgonbayr "Maagii" Margad-erdene (Mongolia)
    • Nicola Ciana (Italy)
  • Women
    • Tanja Volm (Germany)
    • Michaela "Michi" Punz-Raml (Austria)
    • Szilvia Lubics (Hungary)

Stories of Inspiration

Beyond the elite athletes, many competitors bring incredible personal stories to the race:

  • Jesse Yoo (Korea) racing his 22nd event 
  • Sandy Suckling (Australia) competing in her 9th RacingThePlanet / 4 Deserts Ultramarathon 
  • Seven former competitors returning as volunteers

Family Teams 

  • Kate Stiles (United States) races alongside her father, Mark Stiles, a 4 Deserts Club member
  • Jane Carvalho (Brazil) & her partner Alberto Vicente (Brazil) compete together as Team Love, Love, Love
  • Mijin Lee (South Korea) and husband Seok Won Jung (South Korea) celebrate 20 years of marriage—Seok Won completed the Gobi March in 2015 and dreamed of returning with his wife
  • Sibling duos competing
    • Shuying & Weikang Huang (Singapore)
    • Anette Cummings and Fredrik Jansson (Sweden)

Racing for a Cause

Every RacingThePlanet event supports local communities along the race route. In 2025, efforts include:

  • Donating high-powered batteries to nomadic families, providing them with electricity for water pumps, mobile phones, and refrigerators
  • Gifts for children, including colouring books, pencils, toys, frisbees, and lollipops 
  • Many competitors race for charities close to their hearts 
  • Donation to Erdene Zuu Monastery to help improve and maintain the oldest monastery in Mongolia

Follow the Action Live

Our talented media team from Brazil—Andre Gemmer and Gabriel Heuser—will keep the website updated with photos and videos.

In addition, Seijin Oh and Philip Kim will film exclusive race coverage for Korean audiences.

🗓 The race begins on 22 June 2025—follow live updates, results, and more on the Gobi March Live Page!