Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 124, November 2019 | Page 42
Desert
Sands
T
he Gobi Desert is a vast arid region
in Northern China and southern
Mongolia, known for its sand
dunes, mountains, dinosaur fossils and
rare animals such as snow leopards
and Bactrian camels. Due to lying
at a fairly high altitude above sea
level and close to the Himalayan
Mountains, this area is known
for its cold temperatures,
which also explains why
this desert also features
the deep ice field of
Yolyn Am Canyon.
Another feature of
the desert is the
Khongoryn Els sand
dunes, which are
said to sing when
the wind blows.
42
ISSUE 124 NOVEMBER 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
All in all, it is a fascinating part of the world, and that’s
why elite ultra trail runner Bennie Roux was so looking
forward to heading to China to run the Ultra Gobi trail
race in the first week of August. Even though he had
already run many ultra-distance trail races in South
Africa, including three consecutive wins in the 400km
Munga Trail in Mpumalanga, this would be something
completely new for him, and he was up for the
challenge. “I spotted the Ultra Gobi Trail on the Internet
and I loved the sound of the challenge. It is run non-
stop over seven days and covers 400km, and most of
it happens between 1500m and 3000m,” he says.
The exact location of the race in 2019 was Haixi
Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in
Qinghai Province, running through the Chaidam
Depression – known as the ‘Desert on the Roof of the
World,’ one of the most arid locations in the world
with a landscape that resembles Mars. The race is
completely self-supported, meaning that athletes
Some might call ultra trail runner Bennie Roux insane, crazy or mad, and yet others would
say he is inspiring, incredible and amazing. And after his latest exploit, finishing third in
the gruelling MOAB 240 Endurance Run in the United States, one could argue that
all of the above descriptions apply! – BY MANFRED SEIDLER