It has been about two weeks since we crossed the finish line in the small seaside town of Ermioni in the Greek Peloponnese. I hope everyone is recovering well.

This was the 5th RTP race that I have finished, and this one was especially tough because of the ascents. We have no hills or mountains to train on here in Houston, Texas. I much prefer the flats and downhills. My pack weighed 6.9 kg, not including what I was wearing and water. I met Birgit whose pack was only 4.9 kg! Lower pack weights make a big difference getting through these races. However, you can still do well with a heavy pack as Quinn showed us. Because the weather was relatively mild, I didn’t lean on my electrolytes very much. Also, my freeze-dried meals let me down a bit. They were not as tasty as I remember.

I was surprised by the Greek countryside. I’m not sure what I was expecting. I didn’t anticipate such extensive mountains and valleys with lots of trees and greenery interspersed with small villages with red tile roofs. Sometimes I could smell wild thyme or oregano as we hiked through trails. It was nice to be at the sea three times for camp. We got to see things most tourists and many Greeks don’t.

Peloponnese countryside.

The bus ride south from the host hotel in Nea Makri to Camp 1 was about 3 hrs with a pitstop about halfway. Camp was right next to the sea. We were cautioned that evening that there could be thunderstorms, and we might have to evacuate by walking to a nearby location. Fortunately, we only got some evening rain that cleared up by the next morning.

RTP Greece rolled out the new UltraLite version of the race. Competitors (green bibs) had the option of doing 10 or 20K each day. At the end of the week if they accumulated 50K, they received a medal. Their gear was transported from camp to camp. The UltraLite group included novices and RTP veterans and formed a cohesive group. Pam, my Ironman friend from Washington, DC, had heard my stories about RTP races and decided to give it a try. She had a great time. Rumor has it the UltraLite group snuck out one night for dinner in the village!

Pam getting ready to be taken to Camp 1 in minivans for the UltraLite participants.

Stage 1 was brutal! I would look up to see tiny people zigzagging their way up the mountain. At one point we had a great view of how far we had ascended from sea level. Was Camp 2 in the dorms? It was a chilly night.

Glancing back we could see the sea where we started from.

Stage 2 was also brutal. We started off with a gradual ascent and then a nice wide road to descend. But then we entered what looked like a ski run (without snow) and then a single track through a forest. I’m glad people were in front of me so that I could see where they were placing their feet. Then there was a long zigzag down to a town. The final stretch uphill to the finish was very tough. Camp 3 was next to a church.

Stage 3 was OK and memorable because we passed through a little village with a café and I got a can of Coke and a bag of chips. Lots of olive trees!

During Stage 4, I got lost under the train tracks but Miguel yelled my name to bring me back on course. Miguel told me hair-raising stories about his Last Desert race, crossing the Drake Passage. During Stage 4, I fell twice. Once just before CP3, because I was surprised that I had caught up with Kristina and Chris. This led to a misstep down a small descent. I also did a slow fall into a bush just before the finish. Mandy pulled me up. Both falls were slips and the landings were soft. During my first fall I landed on one of my poles and broke it. It had served me well for many races. Camp was next to the sea.

Miguel picked up the pole I had dropped and called me back on course when I missed a turn.

With Mandy at the finish line.

Stage 5, the Long March, was unusual because it began with a ferry ride across the bay to the starting point.

Our ferry waiting to bring us to the start of the Long March.

We immediately experienced a downpour, and my shoes and socks became soaked. Even though there were no water crossings designed into the course, the rain created them. I think I spent too much time at the Monastery at CP2 and after CP3 at a café to order a sandwich to go. At the Namib Race 2024, my headlamps failed me in the middle of the night. Right after CP4 when it was dark, the father and son team, Cade and Cole were behind me and I heard Cade tell Cole that you could adjust the intensity of your headlamp. What?! True enough I was able to reduce the intensity of my headlamp, and it lasted until the finish. Thank you for that very helpful tip. I bumped into a few people during the night, but the most memorable was Rafael, a veteran of these races, because at the end we were searching together for the final pink flags and the finish line. It was so nice to see SJ, Patty, and Pam waiting for me at the finish line.

The Rest Day was very unusual because we were in a seaside town with “luxuries” like restaurants and shops. Usually, we are in the middle of nowhere. Many of us took advantage of eating real food. I heard that some people found a place for hot showers, and Simmie found a place for a shampoo and blow-dry!

Simmie modeling her beautiful, clean hair.

Stage 6 started in 3 waves. The bottom group of competitors started at 8:30 am, the middle group at 9:00 am, and the top group at 9:30 am. It was a short 5K around the town and peninsula to the finish in town along the sea.

A few more thoughts: My general nutrition, hydration/electrolyte plan was like the Gobi March, Atacama Crossing, and Namib Race but each race is a bit different. Mostly, I relied on Infinit and Skratch drinks, planning to sip every 10 mins. However, the ascents through me off my routine and I drank to thirst. Fritos and candied pecans were my snacks. At CP2 or 3 for each stage, I usually drank a whole DripDrop packet to get refreshed.

Jodi Harskamp said “I would rather DNF than DNS” when she received the RTP Greece Spirit Award. Jodi was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier in the year. Surgery removed a benign tumor and remarkably a few months later she completed RTP Greece. Btw, she raced in the Barkley Fall Classic just the week before Greece. Many of us new the wonderful Zach Rozelle from Atacama, Gobi, Namib, and Antarctica. This year Zach was also diagnosed with a brain tumor. His surgery was just two days after Jodi’s. Unfortunately, it was malignant, and he passed away in July. Apparently, Zach had already registered for RTP Greece. Jodi wore Zach’s bib underneath her bib during the race. Simran Singh had buttons printed with Zach’s smiling face. Many of us wore those buttons during the race. Thank you, Simran.

Jodi finished and wore Zach’s bib during the entire race, bringing him in spirit across the finish line.

Thank you to all the volunteers, medical, and local support staff. Everyone was so supportive, always encouraging us. We could not have succeeded without you.

The wonderful Anne with water at CP1, Stage 2.

It was an honor to meet and race with all the competitors from all over the world. SJ, Patty, Ken and Jenna were the best tent mates.

Tent #5 Ares. Me, Ken, Jenna, Patty, and SJ

It was wonderful to race with friends and tentmates from previous races.

Sandeep, Simran, and Rafiq just before the final stage.

Steve from the Namib Race.

Ryoji (my tentmate from Atacama 2023) enthusiastically drumming to welcome the finishers at Ermioni.

At the banquet, I was so surprised and humbled to receive the Sportsmanship Award for mentoring novices to these races to stack the odds of them getting to the finish line.

With my mentee, Gowri, he rocked it.

With my mentor, Reinhold.

Congratulations to everyone who made it to the start line and began the race and to all who finished. It is a big achievement. It is almost impossible to describe this experience to friends back home. There is so much to tell. It is only us who competed who really know what we experienced during this awesome race.

OK, that’s a wrap. I finished my final weekend of training, back-to-back 6- and 4-hour hikes with a weighted pack. It is still hot and humid in Houston. I am sure my fellow Houstonians, Ian and Rafiq, were also suffering this weekend. Fortunately, it looks like the temperature and humidity in Greece along the course will be milder. Now it is taper time! Time to focus on rest, eating properly, staying healthy, and a few short training sessions to stay loose.

Time to do the final check on the kit and nutrition/electrolytes. I don’t think I can make it much lighter unless I give up some luxuries. I found a disposable but reusable inflatable pillow (FlexAir® Inflatable Pillows from Litesmith) that my Namib Race tentmate Malcolm had (only 26 grams). My camp shoes are 200 grams, but they are comfy. It is always a balance between weight and being comfortable. Many of us bring duplicates of required equipment and food. So, if you get to the hotel lacking something just send out a WhatsApp message. People are very helpful and generous.

We all meet in Nea Makri, Greece in just 3 weeks. I have been watching the weather in that region to get an idea about how hot it might be during the day. It looks like it will definitely be warm during the day. There is still time to get more training in before tapering. Probably the most important thing right now is to stay healthy. I still have a few things to order now so that they arrive before I leave. Btw, don’t leave sewing on your patches to your tops for the last minute because it takes a lot of time to do this.

I have learned some great tips for the race from others. Michael Williams has some very helpful YouTube videos on gear and nutrition (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0WzlSA6yaM). One tip I learned from him was DripDrop, an oral rehydration solution powder. Now for each stage, I have one 10-gram DripDrop packet and at Check Point 2 or 3, depending on how I am feeling, I mix it with ~1 cup of water and drink it in one shot. We don’t always realize that we are dehydrated and DripDrop (or something equivalent) can quickly get you back on track.

One of my friends will be competing in the UltraLite version of the race. UltraLite participants can choose to do 10 or 20K per day. They can also skip a day. If they accumulate 50K over the week, they receive a medal. On top of that they don’t have to carry all their gear and food. Their bag will be transported from camp to camp. This is a great introduction to a multi-stage ultramarathon.

During these races, I have accumulated so many fond memories of times out on the course or in camp with friends. Crossing the Infamous Salt Flats with Dora during the Atacama Crossing. Moving through the Atacama Desert with Doreen in the middle of the night with a full moon. Walking with Zach and Keith after coming out of the sand dunes during the Gobi March. Climbing up the big sand dune with Patty in the heat of the Namib desert. The water crossings with Minji in Atacama. Even sitting next to SJ while he was puking in the medical tent. Meeting people from around the world or even in your hometown is what makes these races so special.

In 4 weeks, we will all arrive at the host hotel. We will meet our old friends and new best friends for a shared adventure.

Hi everyone! I’m starting a blog for RTP Greece. I am still surprised that I became a member of the 4 Deserts Club last year. After a hiccup at Atacama 2022 (I only made it to Stage 2, CP3), I completed Gobi 2023, Atacama 2023 (redemption), then Namibia 2024, and Antarctica 2024. It has been an incredible journey these previous 3 years, taking me to places I never dreamed of. That hiccup in Atacama led me to a big reassessment of how I trained and prepared for these races. Now I feel confident that I can complete a multi-stage ultra and enjoy the journey with exotic scenery and wonderful people from around the world. I’m excited about RTP Greece because so many of my friends from previous races will be competing or volunteering but also meeting new people. Plus, I have never been to Greece!

If you are new to these types of races, my biggest advice is to make your kit as light as possible. It makes a big difference especially during the first half of the race. Also, I strongly recommend that you train with your pack (weighted with bags of rice, beans, books, or whatever) with the shoes and socks that you will be wearing. It is a great opportunity to figure out what works and what needs improvement.

If you would like to chat about preparing for these races, see the Personal Trainers & Nutritionists page on the RTP website and you will find my email address. I’m very happy to answer any questions you might have. I do this on a voluntary basis to give back to the RTP community that supported me.

We are now less than 6 weeks until the start of the race. I hope that your training is going well. I’ve got a couple of long back-to-back training weekends coming soon. This gets you used to moving on tired legs. My challenge right now is that it is so hot and humid in Houston. Plus, it is flat as a pancake. I think the suffering in the heat will pay off during the race because I can’t imagine that Greece will be hotter and more humid that Houston in August!

Remember, check point to check point, pink flag to pink flag, one foot in front of the other, alone or with your new best friends, and before you know it you will hear the drum beats and be at camp. Then repeat!