Words + Photo By: Lee Bradbury
For some, the desert is just something they drive past on the way to work or the mall. The sprawling open sand and rolling dunes are usually left to the adventurous drivers and their 4x4s. But today, many runners will be tackling this unspoilt beauty on foot in the inaugural Desert Stinker, with all the funds raised going to Macmillan Cancer Support and the Richard Holland Back on Your Bike fund.
So what is a Desert Stinker? Urban-Ultra, a Dubai-based events organiser, invited people to take part in a two-day race in the Bab Al Shams area, where competitors had the option of completing either 10k on the Friday and 10k on the Saturday, or 20k-20k. The first distance would be completed under the delightful Dubai night sky with the second race posing a slightly more difficult challenge of running over the dunes the following morning. The stinker part comes in with the overnight camping. As the event organisers put it, “no frills” – meaning no showers, so you can imagine the smell would be “fresh,” as I like to say.
I have quite a bit of experience when it comes to running races across various distances, but running on sand was entering the unknown. To top it off, I threw myself straight into the deep end with the 20k-20k distance.
So I arrived at the campsite for a very simple and easy registration where I was presented with some goodies from the events sponsors, including a handy can of deodorant. Before I knew it, the sun was going down, the stars were coming out and head torches coming on, setting the scene for the first run. The command was given to start and I can imagine it would have been quite a sight watching from a distance the mass of light moving as one, even if only for a short moment, before the route split with the 10k runners wishing the 20k runners good luck.
The beams of light soon faded as the runners broke away from each other, it was however amazing to look back and see a long line of head torches bobbing away, with only the occasional sound of footsteps to disturb the silence. The route was well marked and easy to follow, and the terrain easily handled. This kind of event is why I love running – I get lost in my music, take in the amazing scenery and let my thoughts just wander off. At that point, you feel so light on your feet, as though nothing else exists and it’s just you and the route ahead. This was compounded by the dark open landscape and, before I knew it, the finish was in sight and there was one last burst of effort to cross the line in 1hr 21mins. I was happy! All that was left now was to get the BBQ lit for some well-earned grub and listen to fellow campers singing songs around their fires.
Disgustingly early on day two, it was time to rise, get some brekkie and prep my kit for the next race. As I said, this was more challenging than the last and it didn’t take long to see why. Turning onto the sand and clambering my first dune, I was greeted with a never-ending sea of windswept dunes, seemingly untouched by anything. These untouched obstacles were relentless with a constant up and down, trying to stay light on my feet so as to not get bogged down in the soft sand. In spite of this, I was more than happy with how I was coping with the energy-sapping inclines and felt strong throughout. Then it went slightly wrong. The red and white markers that lined the route suddenly disappeared and a group of us mistakenly carried on (I was 4th at this point). It soon became apparent we had gone too far and we all headed for the main reference point, which were the electricity pylons. It wasn’t long before we picked the route back up, but the damage had been done. My position had dropped dramatically and it turned out that I ran an extra 5k! Anyway, I kept pushing for the last couple of kilometres along the world’s longest straight track, which seemed to go on forever! It was here I had a mental battle with myself: one side of me imploring me to stop and the other side screaming at me to keep going! I kept up the fight and made it to the finish as I stumbled in, drenched with sweat and a time of 2hrs 21mins. Not ideal, but I finished which was an achievement in itself.
I had taken on the challenge of the dunes and the open desert, coming out very happy with my efforts, but the same can’t be said for the drive home with lead weights attached to my hips! The stinker was a great event and well-organised with some good route selections. It was massively accessible with runners of all ages and abilities, entering into the two distances, and not just for the running elite. I would like to say a huge thank you to Louise Adamson and all the team at Urban-Ultra for a fantastic event and for helping me find a love for a landscape I had previously ignored.
