![]() Everything looked fine, except he only had half a bottle of water left. His grandfather had told him that by doing so, when highly hydrated, will yield the clearest urine that’s closest to drinking he could get.Īfter assessing his inventory, Mauro knew on what to rely: a knife, sleeping bag, compass, map, dehydrated food, and a backpack. First thing he did was urinate in an empty bottle. At this point he started walking instead. ![]() With 36 hours left to finish the marathon before getting disqualified, Mauro had still high hopes.Įven though he had been trekking alone for a while, he didn’t worry thinking that “ as soon as I see someone we can team up and get to the finish together.” But He couldn’t have imagined what life had prepared for him.Īfter a 4-hour run, Mauro realized he was lost. Tomorrow morning I’ll get up really early and try to reach the finish.”Īnd so he did. He thought “ oh well, I can’t win now but I can still make a good time. Dark had settled in, and the athlete was feeling upset because he suspected he had lost fourth place. After struggling for a while to get through it, he finally subdued to the storm and sheltered until it passed.Įight hours had gone by until the end of the turmoil. The grains of sand did real damage to his body and gear. ![]() Venturing on his own to gain more ground, Mauro was surprised by a terrible sandstorm. Starting early that morning, he reached an area of sand dunes prior to the 5 th checkpoint where he was supposed to receive fresh water supplies. Having a substantial head start over most of the participants, Mauro wanted to secure a spot on the platform. On the fourth day however, things took a different turn… He was the first Italian to reach the checkpoints. Proudly representing his country, Mauro had beaten most challenges laid across the way. It’s impossible to get lost at present, and easy to understand how Mauro lost his way back then. However, it’s worth mentioning that in 1994, no more than 80 participants were aligned for the race, compared to over 1,300 participants today. The marathon des Sables was among the toughest (if not the toughest) in the world at that time, and it remains to this day. The athlete was instantly charmed by the beauty of the landscape. The first glimpse at the desert made Mauro shiver with joy. He strategically reduced the water consumption during training to get accustomed to dehydration.īefore arriving in Morocco, he assured his wife that “ the worst that can happen is that I get a bit sunburned,” unaware of what was about to come. Ignoring his wife’s concerns, Mauro went on a training spree that will see him running 25 miles (40km) daily. The challenge was just too tempting, and in spite of knowing that a form must be signed beforehand to declare where your body should be delivered after a worst case scenario, Mauro didn’t pull back from achieving his dream. He knew that he must be a part of it in order to extinguish his burning desire of running once again across the vastness of the desert, along with his promising career as an athlete. The effort he put in all those races however, deprived Mauro of the joy of admiring and exploring these beautiful places in detail.ĭue to this, a burning desire to do things differently had struck him.Īlthough he had a wife and three children to look after, Mauro couldn’t get a hold of himself when his friend told him of “… this amazing marathon in the desert.” Here’s how the story goes.Ĭharmed by the beauty of the various landscapes, the Italian runner had won plenty pentathlons before his retirement. It teaches us about the importance of preparedness and willpower. This remarkable story shows just how far a man can push its limits. In 1994 at 39 years of age, Mauro Prosperi attended the Marathon des Sables – a race spanning across 155 miles (250-km) through the Sahara Desert and lasting for six days.Īfter a sandstorm had swept over the racing track, the ex-Olympic pentathlete got disorient and wandered the desert for 10 days before he reached safety.
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