Winning The Rann of Kutch 42km, 2015 February 7th.
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The Rann of Kutch. One of the wildest desert of the world, at the end of India, at the border of Pakistan. A huge white salt desert see, the biggest salt desert of the world, with a green « Island » in the middle of it : Dholavira village. Here I have meeting tomorrow to run 42km, a marathon, in the Rann. I could have run 160km or 80km, but just a marathon in the desert will be enough for me.
Invited by my old friend-runner Gael Couturier that is race director here, it took me 40 hours to reach Dholavira from Osaka, with 4 planes, a train, a rickshaw, a bus, and a half night on the floor of Mumbai airport, but I am here. To come up to here he promised me it would be a ton of girls (that are not, …), whatever, I feel very happy to be here. I discover India, Indian Trailrunning, and #Raidlight is in good place.
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This morning is festive ambiance, most Indian runners are here for 21K, but it is already adventure for them, Trailrunning trend is just starting here. Young people, enjoying outdoor.
We reach Start line by 20 minutes bus. Then Landscapes are just …whaouuuu…
Start line is on the Rann, sand and salt at 180•. Running well, running highway… 10km like this, great.
Then a little bit tougher… ! 20 km on the bush, no trail on ground except animal trail and rocks. Going right, going left, up and down, depending on trees, following red ribbons… Like a labyrinth. Nature is wild, now is hot. Kilometers are long but the race is nice. Legs are becoming masses with this treatment, I just have to go on running, go on running…
Nobody behind me, i just do endurance speed. Like all marathons start to be hard at km30. Now the trail is easier, something like a road. Then outside of the road again. go on running, go on running…
Arrival, endly.
4 hours 38 minutes. Not so good, not so bad, but I did it, and it is enough to be the first on arrival line of the 42km marathon of Run of the Rann.
www.runtherann.com, a #Raidlight sponsored adventure in Gujarat (India).
