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Gobi March Blogs 2025
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PostsGobi March (2025) blog posts from Simon Munro
26 June 2025 04:00 pm (GMT+08:00) Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar
Today is the day of rest. Not Sunday, but Thursday. And rest is very welcome. It has not gone entirely to plan, however, as we have only just made it back to camp after spending around 14 hours in a school gymnasium.
The desert storms went into a third day, which coincided with our Long March. As a result, only 21 of us finished, with the rest pulled off the course by a bus that went backwards from the finish line at about 10pm. The rain was pretty heavy by then and, more importantly, in places the lightning was relentless. Some runners were huddled in a ball on the ground, others threw themselves to the ground when lightning hit close by, while others continued non-chalantly (or maybe just aware that you can’t dodge lightning). The storm was amazing and scary for many, even smelling what lightning had done to the ground nearby.
But everyone made it safely to the gymnasium before midnight, where it was warm and dry and (until they were blocked) there were toilets with running water again. Those of us who were bussed there from the camp, a little under an hour away, were not the first to arrive. I managed to find a spot next to the post holding up the volleyball net, which was a decent substitute for the prized walls, against which I could at least lean my bag. I unpacked (again!) and set myself up to try to get some sleep, but the atmosphere was pretty charged and the noise of the chat echoing around the room was prohibitive, to say nothing of the floodlights. Eventually, a bit after 12:30am, they announced that the lights were going out shortly and sleep came.
It had been a long day. The usual 5am start at the previous camp that morning was full of energy - everyone was buzzing for the Long March. The big scary beast. It had been a cold night, probably our coldest so far, but by 6am it was clear that some heat was coming again. As usual we began at 8am, and I was hoping to make it to camp before dark at around 9pm. But you can never fix your goal too firmly with these things as there are things outside your control, like the weather, and many others that require a bit of luck.
We started with a dunes section, immediately up the ridge of a big soft sandy hill, perhaps the only time in the race I’ve actually thought my gaiters were doing their job. There was a little bit of cross-country terrain, including running through a large area of animal bones (presumably some sort of massacre, or unfortunate herd caught in terrible weather) but quickly ended up on what were appropriately described as dusty roads. Which was pretty much what we ran on for the next ten hours. The relentless rolling hills were in contrast to some of the vast open plains that we had encountered on earlier stages. Some were gentle, very runnable, upslopes, others not so much. But the downs were also slowly taking a toll on the quads.
The weather was really indecisive - clouds would roll over for a while and it was quite manageable, only to disappear and require a return to the running shower I was giving myself: face, head, arms, across my shoulders, and if if enough hadn’t run down my front, a good squirt there too.
A real highlight of the day was checkpoint 2. As we arrived there was a large herd of horses, as it turned out, taking advantage of water that was available there from a well. At the checkpoint itself, there was a little Mongolian boy, probably around 6 years old, who had taken over the job of pouring water for everyone. He was taking his role very seriously and had a very steady hand. It was hard not to think of Barnaby doing a similar job, given the chance. Although we weren’t drinking it, the well water was super cold, and a great chance to dunk my buff to keep my neck cool for a while.
The first crack of thunder in the distance at 1:14pm announced the start of the afternoon storm, but for hours it never really evolved into much more than a couple of showers several hours later, and the heat settled in, along with the very dry (largely head)wind, for much of the afternoon.
I had been running with no one within sight in front of me for some time. While not really looking back it was clear at check points that there were a few people who were not far behind.
My fuelling for the Long March was a little different as I had decided to mix my nice tasting, caffeinated, electrolye/carb drinks (both red and blue for the big day) with my not-great-tasting, high carb/electrolyte drink, that I had been finding it hard to get down on previous days. That worked well, but meant for longer checkpoint stops as I got everything together and managed my four bottles. A couple of the following runners went past and I became their followers, but started chatting to one who caught up and didn’t go past: Dirk, from South Africa. He and I had done the Namib Race together last year, but not crossed paths much there. After a couple of hours together it became clear that we had become a bit of a team and would make it through to the finish. We were often chatting away, but equally often just suffering in silence together. For a while we would settle into a routine of running one flag and walking the next, or running downs and walking the ups. Whenever either of us suggested we run, we ran, even if we silently cursed each other for the prompt. A highlight with Dirk was seeing his daughter, Leonie, who is volunteering, at a water-stop between checkpoint 7 and camp. She always brings the vibes, cheering for everyone as much, if not more, than her Dad. She had her sign out for Dirk, which said that his father (who passed last year during the Namib Race) would be proud! An amazing thing for them to share here, though.
It is really unusual to have someone about the same pace that you can be alongside for too long, let alone someone you would choose to stick with, but Dirk and I spent more than six hours together, through to our finish at 8:20pm, in tenth place and before the sun had set. Goal achieved!
I was tired and sore, and said to my tent-mate, Sylvia, who finished about 15 minutes after us, that we had had enough fun for the day, and it was time to rest. Fun?! She replied. That was not fun!
Type 2 fun, maybe? Little did I know that there was still some fun left in the evening, and rest would have to wait for a bit longer!
24 June 2025 10:00 pm (GMT+08:00) Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar
I wish there was an extras in the subject of this blog and I could report on some amazing desserts that we’ve been enjoying, but no.
I had to quickly finish my post yesterday as the thunder was rolling in fast and I needed to go and rescue my shoes from the downpour that was coming - that was a success (and I saved some of my Ger-mates’ shoes too, but did not appreciate quite how fast and how hard the rain was going to come. The camp was quite spread out yesterday and I was down by the toilet / shower block when the skies opened up. I say there are showers, but the Racing the Planet competitors were banned from using them (lol).
I had a chat to a few others by the door, but eventually realised I couldn’t hang out in the toilets forever, and there was no sign of it letting up, so I aimed for the shade cover of the (unsure what it is officially called, but let’s say) relaxation area. I got quite wet getting there, and within a minute we were all told to head to the Gers, because of the risk the lightning posed. In the rush to get out of the rain I got a bit lost and all the Gers looked the same with the doors firmly closed, so by the time I found the right one I was absolutely soaked, which was one shower they couldn’t ban us from! I had to completely change and wring my clothes out, so they had enjoyed a free wash as well - nice and fresh for today!
The rain let up after about 2 hours, and the last eight competitors had been bussed off the course, while the few ahead of them got soaked and smashed by hail. It was a late dinner as a result, but at least I got some dinner, and actually enjoyed it. The first enjoyable meal for days!
This morning over breakfast I heard a rumour that the stage was being shortened to 22km. I was a bit incredulous, but nevertheless promptly told a few people. One of those laughed at me and said no, it was 39.7km and I felt rather stupid for believing such a silly rumour. It was not until the race briefing with 30 minutes before the start that we actually got told that the rumour was true! Perhaps I shouldn’t have made up quite the volume of drinks for the stage?!
The stage started a bit fast as everyone was encouraged by the shortness, I guess, but then turned straight into a climb up a rocky lush mountain, to a Buddhist monastery, and then on to the top and over. It was humid, sweaty, but not too hot, and I enjoyed the climbing with only short strides required (which were not a problem for my rather tight left calf). I got to the top with three others, maybe in 4th-7th place, and then Michi (the women’s leade) asked if I was fast downhill and wanted to go in front of her. I took the bait and passed the other two as well - it was such a cool descent - fast, technical, and not overly steep. My tent-mate, Abdel, said after the stage that I flew down like a butterfly with my wings out, lol!
Once we were back on the flat, though, the shorter strides were not so good, and the others passed me back. As Michi came up behind me I heard her and turned to say hi, and as she came past she said something which I thought I heard right, but had to check as maybe I mistook something from her Austrian accent. You have really nice calves, she repeated. I had heard that right! Lol. What a lovely thing to hear. Luckily, I could deflect that into explaining about my sore calf, but now that you all know, feel free to check them out some time!
The stage then hit some lush dunes, much bigger and greener plants than the first couple of days, and with the rain overnight they were firmly packed and not difficult to run on. Lots of fun, although possibly the best thing about running in the desert is running down steep, soft dunes, which was also not quite the same with the sand packed.
As we came off the dunes there were lush green grass, much thicker than anything I’d seen in Mongolia - no doubt great for the animals. We were following a sandy road that got drier and drier the further away from the mountains we got. As the sand got softer it also got hotter, and the last 7.2km from checkpoint 3 to camp were actually quite tough going in the heat and with nothing firm to push off from. My really nice calves and I made it to the finish somewhere in the top 10, and in under three hours, which was a pretty easy, fun and happy day by comparison.
It then continued getting hotter as I enjoyed a nice lie down with my feet (and calves) up on a stool in the shade in the relaxation area. I managed my recovery shake, and also some Chicken Tikka for lunch, by which time most people had arrived at camp. The last couple were not far away when the wind turned and came blowing in at speed, whipping sand around as the first drops of rain also fell. Everyone got up at once and started packing up - straight to the tents. This desert storm was more about the wind than the rain, although there was some of that too. Tents were blown down, and all the tents got extra tarpaulins covering them. We were told to prepare to evacuate into the busses, but by the time we got ourselves sorted and poked our heads out of the tent the wind had died down and the busses had not yet arrived to save us, so the excitement was largely over. The next hour or so involved putting the camp back together (and I swept out our tent with a sock, as we had not had time to remove shoes when we were sheltering in there). The operation is pretty slick, and everything was back up and running very quickly, even the cyber tent, where I am now.
All in all a good day, albeit a short one. I was a little concerned that it might mean extra distance tomorrow, but that is apparently not happening (but who knows what rumours to believe?!)
Time for some dinner - many thanks for all the messages again, they mean a lot! There may not be another post tomorrow as it will be a long day, but there will be plenty of time on the rest day that follows - weather permitting!
Comments: Total (6) comments
David and Helen Munro
Posted On: 25 Jun 2025 12:53 pm
Congratulations Si, a superb effort today. You made the long March look like a stroll in the park!
We have been tracking you all day and stayed up till the finish about 12:15am our time. We enjoyed seeing a photo of you and Dirk obviously getting much pleasure from your bottles of coke. We trust you both crossed the line together after running as buddies for so much of the day, With your great time, you would have finished in daylight so no need for your head torch to be put to work.
How did your great calves perform? It seems like they did the job ok.
Have a good sleep to night and enjoy your rest day tomorrow so that you are best prepared for stage 6.Time for lights out, take care of yourself.
Love H and D
Lilttle Sis
Posted On: 25 Jun 2025 12:41 pm
Epic effort today Si - you smashed it! I’m a little tired having tracked Bib#67 all 80km of the way. Hate to think how your body is feeling! So cool to see some pics of you and Dirk at the 50km checkpoint with huge smiles, as you no doubt downed your (hopefully cold!) Coke. Enjoy the rest day, keep hydrated and enjoy the post run Pringle’s!
Ps. Jacko told me at bedtime tonight that they had silent reading at school today and he was reading your blog #proud💙
Vinnie Adams
Posted On: 25 Jun 2025 05:06 am
Well done Si! It feels like you deserved a slightly sorter day after the first couple. At the risk of jeopardizing our working relationship, I can confirm the (now-notorious) "calves comment". Kia kaha and thank you for the continued posts, so good to hear how you are going. Cheers!
Alex Booker
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 05:51 pm
Awesome effort Simon! Great read and LOL re the calves. All the best for the rest of it. You’ve got this.
Little Sis
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 11:58 am
Sounds like you had a great day Si - so good to hear. All the best for the Long March - we’ll be tracking your progress all the way to Camp. Hope the weather is kind to you all tomorrow. Go well and look after those (lovely) calves!
Sam Fanshawe
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 11:06 am
Sounds like you're back to your normal self which is great to hear.
Michi does not know what she started with her calves comments - we're not going to hear the end of it. Perhaps there should be a Camp vote for the best calves on the Rest Day.
23 June 2025 07:40 pm (GMT+08:00) Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar
It was quite a relief to wake up today without the need for more drugs, and an ability to drink my breakfast without the need for a lie down. Consequently I was a lot more organised this morning, and there was no rushing to make the start line.
I started the stage running reasonably well, but decided I needed to dial it back a bit, especially as there was a reasonable climb that we hit pretty early. My fueling was going okay, and the red Vitasport + (as opposed to the blue, yesterday) in particular, was actually quite welcome. The morning was not too hot, with a nice breeze and some partial cloud cover, and I was keeping up a reasonable, but certainly not spectacular pace. While there were no stomach cramps today (hooray) I was feeling a bit queasy at times, which stopped any thoughts of running any faster. In the early afternoon the heat really cranked up - someone who had a temperature gauge on his pack said it registered a maximum of 44 deg celcius - and so there was again lots of use of a third water bottle as a body sprayer to stay cool. A few people who had passed me earlier started to fade a bit from the heat, and the last hour or so I was not feeling queasy at all, so I managed to run more than I‘d expected, partly due to a very tight calf muscle that made jogging more comfortable than walking.
No photos today - I tried to take one of a really cool Mongolian farmer on horseback who was herding his goats - only to find out that my iphone had been trying to unlock itself in my pack. It said to try again in three hours. Lol.
The results are largely irrelevant after day 1, but it was surprising (not just to me, it seems!) to finish 13th (as opposed to 47th or something yesterday).
We are staying tonight in a little yurt village (or what the Mongolians call Gers, which translates to “home” unsurprisingly). We even have toilets that flush and running water, which is a big change from the hole it the ground at the last two camps. Our tent got allocated a Ger with two beds (some seem to have four!), which seems relatively unlucky, and means I’ll be on my usual inflatable bed on the concrete floor. Still, I have been sleeping pretty well given how exhausted I‘ve been, so it will be fine.
As I am typing the weather is breaking and the thunder is rolling in thick and fast - there will be a big downpour soon. I better go and rescue my shoes which are resting outside the door to our Ger.
Thank you for all the messages - particularly from Orla and Barnaby! - they really mean a lot. I am missing my family and everyone at home, but love reading all the suppport (and the news that the Crusaders won!!!!)
More tomorrow, hopefully.
Comments: Total (7) comments
Andreas Carrara
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 06:36 am
Mr Munro, you are an absolute machine! Luckily you are one tough b’stard to battle through and finish the first stage, so awe some. Great to read you are on the improve, and results for stage 2 and 3 show that and I’m sure the results for the rest of the stages will be even better. Keep it up mate, you got this!
Lottie O'Brien
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 05:10 am
Bravo Simon for rallying so impressively after shitting and vomming up a storm! Sounds like you needed (and got hold of) something more potent than charcoal to get it under control. Looking forward to further updates - keep you going you lunatic!
Anna Davidson
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 05:01 am
Amazing work SDM, your resilience and determination is inspiring! I hope you feel better for the rest of the race!
David and Helen Munro
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 04:50 am
Hi Si, Just a short day at the office for you in stage 3. You did very well to finish 8th and hopefully the shortened distance worked in your favour as you rebuild energy levels and stamina. I mentioned after stage 1 how courageous your efforts were to not only get to the start line, but to grind away, hour after hour until you crossed the finish line. Whilst we were aware of your food poisoning issues and the obvious impact on your ability to perform at your desired level of achievement, it came as a shock to us both to read your blogs 2 and 3, early this morning, and learn what you had to endure to actually be able to start the race and how your body reacted to the punishment you were asking it to accept throughout a very long day. Your achievement in actually finishing stage 1 is beyond belief and ranks as an epic performance that few people, if any, could have achieved. We are so very proud of your commitment to find a way to make it happen!
We are delighted to see you bounce back in stages 2 and 3 thus far, knowing full well that you are focussed on the single objective of finishing the event later in the weekend and will be with you all the way through to the finish line in stage 6.
We watched some of the action on You Tube earlier today and saw you start today’s stage and heard you cough as you passed the camera. There was also a close up head and shoulders shot of you immediately after someone had poured water over your head and face and we heard a sigh of relief from you, a very touching moment. The videos we watched also showed the landscape and terrain of the different stages and gave us a greater appreciation of what you are having to endure to complete this event.
Enjoy your extra rest time today, tomorrow is another full stage and we wish you good luck as the longest day approaches.
Love H and D
Sam Fanshawe
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 02:39 am
So glad to hear that you are feeling better. Time doesn't matter, espeically what you've been going through, but you're doing incredibly well. Keep it up.
Little Sis
Posted On: 24 Jun 2025 12:36 am
Hey Si,
Loved reading your Stage 1 and 2 blogs that went up late last night NZ time, although it sounds truly gruelling. We are in awe of your courage, determination and ability to push on and focus on the goal, despite the immensely tough physical challenges you were obviously battling. You definitely have will power and mental toughness like no other.
Wet Bus Ticket 1 - Food poisoning 0!
Glad to hear you’ve got awesome support around you from the medics and your fellow competitors.
We are very proud of you and have so much respect for what you’ve achieved thus far. Keep your spirits high and look forward to that next dehydrated dinner! Jacko had to log on to track you before he left for school this morning as he’s worked out that’s how to get around it being a blocked site when he’s at school 🙊
Look forward to the next instalment.
Charlotte Webber
Posted On: 23 Jun 2025 12:03 pm
What incredible determination and spirit you have to have kept going in stage one. That sounded horrific. I’m so glad you’re feeling better and am sure the stages will just keep getting better for you. You’re amazing and we’re all so proud of you back here.
22 June 2025 10:00 pm (GMT+08:00) Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar
Hello from the Mongolian Steppe!
I was pretty nervous about the prospect of a six hour bus ride to camp given the previous night‘s carb-unloading that I undertook. Luckily I managed to get enough anti-vom and anti-poo drugs to get me through, but it was touch and go (on the vom-front, at least). The roads got progressively worse as we left the city and the bus had some good suspension on it which made for some bouncy hours at the back of the bus. Our bus had clutch issues about two hours in, which had us trying to start in whatseemed like third gear - it was very reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine, if you’ve ever seen that, where they had to push their van to get it started and then sprint up to jump in the side door. I did suggest that at one point, but not sure the driver either spoke English, or had seen that movie. He did get several cheers from the whole bus though each time he got it going, usually with some massive crunching of gears, giving up on the right one, and seemingly going straight from 3rd to 5th. An amazing effort - but I am hoping for a different bus on the way back. We definitely had to hold on tight for much of the ride, with the bumps necessary taken at decent speed, and also due to some inventive overtaking (both from our driver, and drivers coming towards us!) One of our tranmission-related stops was opposite a big corral of horses, and we were contemplating the need to ride them the erst of the way - it may‘ve been slower, but it would certainly have been smoother. With my lack of sleep from the night before the last couple of hours in the bus were pretty hard going - all i wanted to do was close my eyes, but having to hold on prevented any real rest. If it wasn’t for the great company, though, the whole ride would‘ve felt like forever.
Once we made it to camp we set up in our tents - we had lost someone from Tent 10 somehow, so only five of us, and a really nice group fo people - all over 50 (thanks to my birthday last week) so all house (or tent) trained. I didn’t even both trying to eat any dinner as it wouldn‘t have gone well, but the chance to lie down as rest was super welcome. We kept the doors of the tent open so going to sleep with a view of the stars was pretty cool, and waking up in the night to pee was an even better chance to see the stars. I got lots of sleep, relatively speaking anyway, so I started day 1 around 5:30am feeling someewhat better than the shell of a human I was the night before.
I managed to get my ultrafuel hot chocolate breakfast down, but soon needed to lie down for half an hour to help my stomach recover. That made the rest of the preparation for stage 1 a bit tight, not helpeed by some diarrhea, and getting more pills from the doctors.
I made it to thee start line as I was pinning my bib on my pack and with less than ten seconds to spare. Phew. I started off running okay, not fast, but running. My pace quickly dropped by a minute per km, then another minute, and another… all to accomodate how my stomach was feeling. I made it to check point 1 having fuelled relatively well and not feeling too bad, but within a few kms I was doubled over dry-heaving, and then doubled over wet-heaving (if that’s a thing) five times in the course of a minute. Luckily there was a fence post for me to lean on - small mercies!
Watching all those calories and all that hydration disappear into the dirt was pretty demoralising - it was weirdly obvious that the last two heaves were breakfast - and I really thought I was watching my chances of finishing the stage and probably the race soak into the ground too. My pace just kept dropping - even a reasonable walking pace was impossible, down to zimmer-frame sort of levels, that would not have me making the stage cutoffs if that was all I could manage.
I started sipping water and electrolytes, but could only handle one sip every five minutes or so, before taking some time for my stomach to cramp and then recover, which was nowhere enough to keep my hydrated. For probably close to two hours I thought the race was over, but kept trudging away, with very kind people coming past me constantly with good wishes, encouragement and occasionally forced help (like removing my hat, filling it with water, and putting it back on my head).
Slowly that got to two sips every five minutes, and then three, and then four. Still, every time I drank, and sometimes even when I didn‘t, my stomach cramped, often needing a stop, bending over, and some deep breaths. My walking pace (there was no prospect of doing anything but walk) though, picked up to maybe 4km per hour, and I started to see a little light at the end of the tunnel.
I stopped at all the check points (more anti-vom drugs at CP2 helped, I am sure), which was good chance to cool off in the shade as best I could, and found with a wee rest I could get a few more sips down at once. It was so hot, but I was using what I learnt in Namib last year to keep relatively cool, spraying water on myself regularly to make up for the lack of any sweat coming out of the dehydrated husk that was my body.
There was a big (700m) climb between check point 2 and check point 3, which you would think would be horrendous in my state, but it was actually encouraging as even my slow pace up the hill was enough to start passing people, and a similarly slow pace down the other side had the same effect - maybe I would make it?
It started to cool down a bit after about 2pm, as some partial cloud cover arrived, and even some rain clouds in the distance echoing thunder across the Steppe. Sadly, the rain did not make it across, save for a few measly spits an hour or so later. But I kept trudging, and eventually crawled into camp after more than 9 hours. Many of the people who’d come past during the day were checking in on me, some incredulous that I‘d make it. I never would’ve expected any kudos for a run like that, but it was nice to get it, and just shows how nice these crazy people all are, but also I suspect that many really got how close it was to a race ending day.
Relief to be finished. But not really. The stomach cramps continued, improving a little if I lay down with my feet up, but I also needed to get my gear off, clean my feet/legs, and try to get some calories. Nothing happened quickly, but I ticked the main jobs off, had my recovery shake and went for a lie down. Eventually, as it was getting dark, I decided I had to try to get some dinner in if I was going to have any chance of making it through stage 2. I forced some pasta bolognese down, but it was sitting okay, and I went to bed with a little optimism for day two.
.
21 June 2025 09:33 am (GMT+08:00) Irkutsk, Ulaan Bataar
Supposedly the coldest capital city on earth, over the last few days Ulaabaatar has been trying desperately to lose that title - today is heading for 31 degrees - and the next few days are even warmer! I am reliably informed (thanks Google) that it makes up for the heat in June/July with an average "high" temperature in January of -15 degrees, and an average low of -29!
I landed on Wednesday, and after a two hour taxi ride from the airport, had clocked up over 36 hours travelling since leaving home before 5am on Tuesday. Driving in Mongolia seems like something best left to the experts - especially given some of the peculiarities of road use here. For example, over 95% of the cars seem to be right-hand drive vehicles from Japan and Korea, while at the same time around 95% of the cars actually drive on the right-hand side of the road. The exceptions to each of those rules, however, do not seem to co-incide with any predictability. Over the course of my taxi ride, I think my driver managed well over 100 lane changes, some within seconds of each other, making use of largely pedestrianised accessways, and even taking an exit from bumper-to-bumper motorway traffic, only to immediately throw in a U-turn to get back on the same road via the next on-ramp. We, and twenty or thirty other cars, took full advantage to get in front of maybe three or four cars that seemed unaware of the "shortcut". Luckily we were not among the 5-6 lane-changing accidents that I witnessed on the way into the city, which all helped to clog up the traffic even further (along with the seemingly compulsory behaviour of entering an intersection, whether or not there is any chance of being able to get out the other side).
The city provides a real contrast between old-Soviet-era architecture and the new development that kicked off when Mongolia became democratic in 1990, and is still continuing at pace. Some people say things are changing too fast, and the gap between rich and poor is widening. With a large shift in population from the nomadic way of life (which is still how 1/3rd of the population live) into the city, there is a need for construction to provide all those people somewhere to live. Not being used to the rules of city life, many of the nomadic people find life in Ulaanbaatar hard to get used to, particularly the driving as they are not necessarily used to having anyone to avoid, let alone roads.
The Mongolian people that I have met so far have been absolutely delightful - from those who give me a wave when out for a wee run, to others who can speak English and are keen for a chat. Even the stern lady at customs who seemed initially keen to investigate the suspicious white powder I was carrying seemed to warm up after a while (or just got bored of me?), and with not even a word in common of the same language, she eventually waved me away back to the main queue to enter the country.
I will not give the food quite the same high praise, in large part because I have spent the last sixteen hours dealing with food poisoning. I have medication for both ends of my body now, though, (thanks to the Race doctors!) and feel like I am starting to turn a corner. Along with two hours' sleep last night, this is certainly not the ideal race preparation, although losing a couple of kilograms at least lightens the load I am still hoping to lug around 250km over the next seven days. And surely it will help me get to bed early at Camp 1 tonight.
We went through the race briefing and check-in process this morning. My pack weighed in at 8.10kg, without water, which I am pretty happy with. Almost 4kg of that is food, so the load will lighten as the race progresses... although I can't really imagine eating any of it wiht the way I am feeling at the moment. A minimum of 1.5l of water must be carried out of each check point, so that will have me carrying around 9.6kg.
In a little over an hour we will be boarding the buses for the six-hour drive out into the wilderness to find Camp 1. It seems that at least the first couple of hours are going to be reminiscent of my taxi-ride on Wednesday, in heavy traffic, but with my stomach issues I am certainly hoping for fewer sudden lane changes!
.
Comments: Total (11) comments
Deb Walker
Posted On: 23 Jun 2025 09:21 am
Sounds like a very rough start before even making it to Camp 1. You are already running an incredible race…I think most people in your situation wouldn’t have finished day 1. We are following your progress from afar and will be cheering you on all the way to the 250km finish line! Keep hydrated. Love G+D
Sal Powell
Posted On: 23 Jun 2025 08:08 am
Not the ideal start for your Simon! We had snow on arrival last year !! Hoping the food poisoning has improved. Shame there doesn't seem to be such a thing as a perfect race...well not that I have found. You have at least found your challenge early on. It is a long race and plenty of time left so go with the day by day, checkpoint to checkpoint theory and don't forget to enjoy the views. Cheering you on from afar!!
David and Helen Munro
Posted On: 23 Jun 2025 07:37 am
Outstanding effort today Si. Grandma wishes she was there with you to fill your water bottles, cook your dinner etc while you rest.
Have another good day tomorrow, we will be cheering you on.
Love H and D
Little Sis
Posted On: 23 Jun 2025 06:45 am
Awesome work on Stage 2 Si! We have just watched your tracker arrive at camp after Stage 2. Hope it wasn't as hot today - conditions yesterday sounded extreme with temps in the high 40's. Hope you are feeling heaps better. Rest up and fingers crossed food is going down a bit better than it was 48 hours ago. All the best for Stage 3 tomorrow - we will be cheering you on from NZ!
David and Helen Munro
Posted On: 22 Jun 2025 11:21 pm
A very courageous performance yesterday Si especially given the lingering effects of food poisoning. Hope you had a better sleep and have been able to eat and recover some energy. Good luck today and go well. We will be following you.
Love H & D
Vivienne Munro
Posted On: 22 Jun 2025 09:05 pm
Lovely to read your informative blog Simon.So sorry to hear about your food poisoning. We hope that you did actually get some sleep last night and will be following your journey with Interest.. Love from NZ
Jacko Hansen
Posted On: 22 Jun 2025 07:49 am
I am very proud of you Uncle Si. I have had food poisoning before and suffered, so you are doing amazing running in the heat and elevation 🙌
Mum has already told me I'm not allowed to do a racingtheplanet event when I'm older, as she is too nervous just tracking you!
I hope you sleep well and are feeling better tomorrow. Good luck
Jacko
Helen Walker
Posted On: 22 Jun 2025 05:08 am
Wow , between food poisoning and terrifying taxi rides maybe the rest of the adventure will be semi enjoyable. Go well and keep safe
Vinnie Adams
Posted On: 22 Jun 2025 12:22 am
Go Simon! And congratulations on the Crusaders finals win. We will all be following along back here!
Little Sis
Posted On: 21 Jun 2025 09:32 pm
You don’t like doing things the easy way Si! Hope the sleep at Camp 1 was better than the previous night and fingers crossed you’re over the worst of the food poisoning. Good luck! On a brighter note, your friends the Crusaders won 🏆
Look forward to reading your, hopefully less eventful, subsequent blogs. Go well 👍
Sam Fanshawe
Posted On: 21 Jun 2025 06:53 am
Glad you managed to arrive safely and in good time with all your white powders, but so sorry to hear about the stomach issues. Great blog full of facts and insights. Congrats on 8.6kg pack weight. Fingers crossed you get a good night sleep and feel better tomorrow. Good luck!
Comments: Total (4) comments
Jacko Hansen
Posted On: 27 Jun 2025 05:10 am
Rachel Symon
Posted On: 26 Jun 2025 09:19 pm
Little Sis
Posted On: 26 Jun 2025 10:38 am
David and Helen Munro
Posted On: 26 Jun 2025 10:35 am