“Industry” of remote ultras
Organising events within your own country is one thing. But taking races to distant, exotic locations and immersing in new cultures, adds a little spice to the job. Organising remote ultramarathons is a rather different than organising festivals or conferences in a city. Instead of thinking where the flowers will go or how much the lighting will cost, we maybe figuring out where did the camels escape or how to get a truck out of rice paddy. Accountants, beware. If you don’t like handwritten receipts signed by tuckshop owners or donkey taxies, this field may not be your cup of tea.
A multi-stage format adds an extra level of challenge. Instead of wrapping up the show at the end of one or two days, it just keeps going – in these races for a week+ of consecutive days, many requiring 20 hours of work -- or more.
While organising an annual event may ease the workload over time, setting up a race in a new location demands four times the effort. The payoff? The new locations interest both participants and organisers like me. Who wants an easy job anyway? :)
Personally, I enjoy tackling the logistical arrangements. Planning race operations, arranging everything from camels to ambulances, and securing thousands of liters of water—it's a puzzle I enjoy solving. The closer the event looms, the more exhilarating (and stressful) it becomes. The context of deserts and working in developing countries makes it all the more unique. There’s no easy guidebook for the niche of stage races or ultras. Organisers are often small companies, individuals or sports associations that have implemented best practises over the time. We have to operate in global environments, collaborating with a diverse mix of people which makes it all fascinating.
In preparation for the 2022 RTP Ultra in my homeland of Finland, I managed to keep a little diary for a day. Here's a glimpse into a "typical" day:
At 8:00 replies to the team members in Hong Kong - Asia has been at work for many hours already.
Spending the morning on the phone with transport companies in Hong Kong, Georgia and the US. The excitement is growing, will I get a sea container of goods to leave on time ....in a plane (thanks to Mr. Putin). I wonder if we could get a faster service in the harbor if I was handing out cigarettes like we did in Egypt back in the day…
Final land permission discussions with the reindeer herders and a local entrepreneur. I really hope they are fine with this. If not, the route changes - and then we need…. new permissions again.
New recruits, a couple of new members to a team of 70 race crew.
Follow up with the emergency services regarding the risk management plan.
A call to Kittilä, "Could I rent three large trucks please, approx. 7 x 2.5 x 2.5 meters each”.
A bit of customer service in between, answers regarding tourist visas, gear and clothing, choice of nutrition, mosquitoes and anything in between.
Special arrangements due to an Israeli participant's Sabbath schedule: taking transport on Saturday is not allowed - and of course the race bus transport falls on Saturday). Fortunately, he could travel after sunset... Except that the sun doesn’t really set at this time of the year in Finland.
Discussion with the Californian production company about filming arrangements.
Call to Enontekiö: “I’d like to order half cut oil drums, please. How many? Many.”
Hotel reservation changes, and a discussion on how to move a couple of hundred suitcases from Rovaniemi to Levi.
Cost updates.
At 19:00 a call to a tent manufacturer in the USA where they have just woken up. Fortunately, these calls are no longer scheduled for midnight like they used to be.”
Day by day, this is how the puzzle pieces fall into place. You never know if they will, but somehow, they always do. The days are long but that's how we roll in preparation for the race. It’s more a rule than an exception that the organisers are already “fair bit” knackered by the time the participants start arriving at event location.
Remote environments often require more creative problem solving is often needed. We try to plan for everything, but something unforeseen always arises. Gotta think on our feet!
Political Challenges
In my 15 years with these types of events, we've faced our fair share of VUCA challenges (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity). Although these races are all about fun and adventure, a big challenge is navigating through and pondering what-if scenarios due to different macro- and micro-level events in our operating environment or market.
These can be environmental and political events, both global or local. Sometimes they are very direct, like having to move a race from Egypt to Jordan to Namibia:
In my early years, I had the opportunity to work in Egypt at the Sahara Race. Instead of experiencing the hustle of bustle that many tourists do, we were lucky to get to work with the friendly and hospitable people of Faiyum who were part of our local team. The Sahara, the largest desert in the world, is as hot as it is vast. It Desert symbolises the hottest desert and provides a perfect backdrop for a classically stunning sand dune race. From the breathtaking White Desert to Wadi Al-Hitan, also known as Valley of the Whales because it was once submerged under the sea and now showcases fossils of whales and other marine life. What a place to race!
After a few years, tensions escalated between Libya and Egypt, leading to political unrest. With violent attacks on the border and potential escalations, we could no longer guarantee a safe event. Faced with this situation in 2013, we had to scramble for a new location. We felt sorry for the local team in Egypt whose main livelihood was tourism but we didn’t really have a choice.
We looked for options and ultimately decided to move the race to Jordan. This was a natural choice, as we had organised the RacingThePlanet Ultra in Jordan a year before, which made the transition easier. Although we missed our team in Egypt, it was also great to be back in the valleys of southern Jordan and Petra, the 8th wonder of the world.
We loved Jordan, but world events forced another relocation sooner than we had expected. In 2015, the devastating war in Syria reached its peak. While Jordan had remained safe, events between the two countries caused tensions to rise. So, where to next? Finding countries with stunning sand dunes and political stability became quite the challenge. We turned our gaze towards Namibia, situated on the other side of the African continent. The race continued to bear the Sahara name for a few more years before we named it the Namib Race. Home to the highest sand dune in the world and the spectacular Skeleton coast, Namibia provides an equally stunning setting for a sandy, hot desert race. With all the unrest in the world, we can only hope that the race can return to its original location in Egypt someday.
Environmental Challenges - and wildlife
In 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland stopped flights in a large part of the world, which had a direct impact on the Atacama Crossing race. Participants found it very difficult to fly to Chile. Most made it there but only with great persistence. Getting through travel challenges is what we have nicknamed “Stage 0”.
Desert weather can be very harsh. Huge changes from extreme heat to sub-zero temperatures, sand storms, lightning storms… you name it. I vividly remember a morning at 5 am, negotiating space in a Dinosaur Museum in the middle of the salty, sand-beaten desert in the western part of Xinjiang province, China. An 80km stage was underway, and none of us had slept for 24 hours. I was there, trying to figure out if there was enough floor space for 200 exhausted souls to sleep and find shelter from the howling sandstorm. My driver and I didn't share a common language, but I signaled, "This will work," and we hurriedly left the building. By then a black sky-high wall of sand raged only a few hundred meters away. We hurried back to the car and drove to the camp, to collect racers.
Meanwhile, my colleagues were holding people at checkpoints, waiting to start evacuation. Sandstorms are common in the desert. They’re usually not as dangerous as they sound but you do need to stay put and find shelter – flying sand is not pleasant! Later in the same day, once the racers were settled on their mattresses across the museum floor, we finally got some sleep. A friend took this photo of me passed out.
Similarly, thunderstorms have forced us to shorten or modify stages. At times, we adjust the markings so that racers racers don’t even notice they've reached a different campsite. Occasionally, there may be a bus waiting for them at the nearest road access. In such cases, it was their best day of the run.
The same applies if a snowstorm hits. Some may remember a trail race a few years ago where 21 runners tragically died of hypothermia on a mountain. Tragic deaths that could have been prevented. It’s worth mentioning that this was not a RTP race.
The race venues have amazing wildlife too. As you can imagine, selection criteria for a race are strict. Once we have eliminated places that are too dangerous, plans are put in place to keep participants safe from the local wildlife. Elephants, rhinos, desert lions, hyenas, fierce shepherd dogs. You name it. We always engage local specialists who know their stuff. For instance, the Namib Race takes place in an area with a small population of endangered desert lions. While humans pose more danger to them than the other way around, experts keep both these majestic creatures and our runners safe.
In Namibia we have had the pleasure of working with Dr Philip Stander, a scientist with more than 35 years of commitment to the protection of desert lions. Read his book the Vanishing Kings. Working with Stander has been a highlight for all of us on the team. His Ghostbusters style research vehicle, that has antennas pointing at all directions and a dried hyena head on the front, could certainly be described cultural, and the chats we had driving through the desert have been so insightful some of the highlights of my time in Namibia.
Dr. Philip Stander, from the Desert Lion conservation.
Operational Challenges
One classic: Shipping. A regular logistical challenge that’s anything but regular or standard. Without the equipment there is no race, so, as you can imagine, it’s always a relief when we get our goods come out of customs. The containers are a treasure trove of random race equipment. And the countries we race in? Well, they’re pretty random in their shipping policies. Some require Ata carnets, some don’t. Some do Telex releases by fax, some by post and some by the Holy Spirit. There are a ‘few’ HS codes (harmonised system) on the list. While it helps do the paperwork on time, sometimes it’s better simply distribute cigarettes in the container port. Our shipments usually arrive from several different countries. One maybe a container or two, others come in boxes. Sometimes they are combined at ports. Despite the usual angst, normally the shipments arrive to be cleared on time.
Pack-craft in Yemen
In 2013, I sent a container from Hong Kong to Iceland. Half way, I got an email from the freight-forwarding company. No hello, just one link to a news article that caught my attention. About a container ship drifting of the coast of Yemen. What a way to deliver bad news! The forwarding agent confirmed it was our ship. The high seas had caused the vessel to crack, and everyone was now waiting for it to split in half. A day later it did, with tens (hundreds?) containers floating in the sea. Not exactly the best news to receive, when our containers held specialised gear sourced from various places. Replacing them would be a costly and challenging task. Let’s just look at that bill of lading one more time, I thought to myself. What’s the vessel number again? Phew! Ours looks like a different ship than what’s in the news. Turns out, the freight-forwarder had accidentally sent someone else's bad news my way.
The vessel just before snapping in half.
In 2016 we welcomed our containers fashionably late to Sri Lanka. The first one we got out of customs at 1am, just 7 hours before the start of the race, and the second, with all our tents arrived on the fourth day of the race. Did anyone notice? Well, we improvised. Participants didn’t seem to miss their tents as we were able to move to nearby scout cabins for the first night; camp 2 was planned to be in an old tea factory anyway and the third night was warm enough to sleep under checkpoint tents that we had fiercely unwrapped on the night before the race.
More recently, in 2021-2022, shipping to Finland (my homeland, alas) proved to be challenging, too. This time, the Ukraine war and our friendly neighbour, Putin, complicated pre-race logistics. Again, shipping challenges again! Initially, the plan was to ship equipment from Mongolia, but everything changed after the war started. With boycotts and the border block between Finland and Russia, the most direct shipping route was no longer available. The land route around Russia was too long and insecure. We considered road transport to Shanghai and sea shipment through the Suez Canal, but even with many months until the race, that schedule was tight. Due to some bad parking in the Suez Canal some months earlier, the world was still catching up on delayed deliveries. Sourcing all the items from northern Europe wasn't an option due to a lack of supplies. All these options were too iffy to take up. Eventually, the best bet was Georgia. We packed a sea container's worth of cargo on a plane after the race we staged there in June and sent it to Helsinki. Luckily, everything arrived. A huge relief but as you can imagine, the cost was substantial.
Cultural Challenges
Definitely part of the job description. Our core team of is female. Organising races in the Muslim world as a western woman poses many cultural challenges. Picture this: you're in a new country with a newly recruited local team. It's 2pm, and the camp workers, who have been working since 4am to set up tents and equipment, have just gone to take a nap under their trucks. This is where creativity comes into play. Sometimes, it's wiser to ask a male colleague to step in and get the troops back to work.
"Inshallah" is what our local counterparts in the Islamic part of the world would often say. It's their friendly way of saying, "If Allah wills," to anything they cannot guarantee. And then there's the sideways head shake in Sri Lanka—yes, no, maybe, who knows? Or the struggle of seeking confirmations in the laid-back northern Chile. The best way to deal with these lovely people is to show up early in person– phone calls or emails are just too hit-and-miss.
Challenge of Pushing the Limits
Athletic statistics
The science around ultramarathons and stage races is fascinating. When people strain their bodies over consecutive days, we start seeing things that don’t show in every day sports, both mentally and physically. While athletes come to push their boundaries, our challenge as organisers is to keep them safe. This involves meticulous pre-event planning, providing guidance to racers before and during the race, and implementing comprehensive medical and operational safety measures throughout the event.
Heat
When athletes go for days, terms like "electrolytes, "urine color," and "IV fluids" become commonplace in our vocabulary. The combination of extreme environments and continuous physical exertion yields fascinating statistics. Heat is something that you need to take very seriously – therefore we always worked with the best medical teams in the field.
The hottest place I have directed a race is in China. The Gobi March course from 2014 to 2017 was stunning but in many ways the toughest. It starts from the snow-capped Tianshan Mountains but descended then goes to a vast depression, known as the Black Desert. With temperatures exceeding 55C, the safety plan around heat had to be very detailed. To add to the challenge, this section of the race, was the 80km long stage (aptly named "The Long March"). Thanks to the well managed race plan, this section typically saw only a couple of participants withdrawing, despite the hellish heat. Statistically that is almost impossible. Amazing what a rightly timed mandatory stop and certain safety procedures can do.
The Namib Desert and Atacama Desert have hot sections too. Alternations of route, season or time of the day are things we can do but if it gets too hot, quick action is needed. Many routes have been modified, extra vehicles added to the course and hundreds and hundreds of containers of water placed strategically to ensure a safe race.
Not all races take place in hot places. When temperatures cool down, rain falls or the wind picks up, the weather itself is a lot more optimal for running. Then again, these conditions can also dampen motivation. In the 2013 race in Iceland, we were greeted with vertical rain and icy wind almost throughout the entire race week. Needless to say, the number of withdrawals was relatively high. While injuries were cited as the formal reason, for most, the underlying factor for many was the adverse weather. Extreme cold is a separate topic, let’s leave that out this time, but as a general rule of thumb, if you're feeling hot in -30C, it's cause for concern (and likewise if you are feeling cold in +30C).
Demographics
Demographics in the ultras are interesting too. While men typically dominate the overall prize (although this trend may change!), women tend to perform relatively better. Why do I say this? Women may doubt themselves more which means they may be a bit humbler towards the task and plan better. It’s also said that women generally have a higher pain threshold. Then again, there are more men in the field which can confuse the statistics.
In the early years of ultras, the number of women was low. Some 15 years ago, the ratio of women to men in these races was initially around 10-15% to 85-90%. These days women’s participation has started to reach beyond 30%. While we love seeing anyone out there to push their boundaries, it’s been great to follow the confidence growth in women. The only way you can finish a race is by showing up at the start line.
“Age is just a Number”
What is the best age? While a 20-year-old sprinter with bulging muscles may dominate a sprint races, he or she is unlikely to successfully complete an ultramarathon. If you look at the results, ultramarathons and stage races are a sport suited for middle-aged individuals. Intelligence is key: If you start too fast, you will not finish. If you ignore recovery, don’t stop to take care of blisters or disregard the signals from your body, you will not finish.
Men and women alike, the 40–50-year category is often strongest. Sure, the 30-40 age group can hold its own, but those in their 20s are still figuring things out. The 50-60-year-olds are also still going strong. And then we have the most hardcore of all - the 60-70 and beyond! We used to have a cap at 70 for these races, but let's face it, ultrarunning is their lifeblood. When you watch a 75+ legend conquer a race you realise that age indeed is just a number. They take their time, crack jokes at the checkpoints, and embrace a steady pace. One step at a time, just like they do in life.
Yoshiaki Ishihara, age 75 at the time, going strong.
Over the years, it has been great to witness how new countries embrace this sport. The growth is often linked to economic development and increased travel opportunities. Just two decades ago, it was uncommon to see people wearing outdoor clothes on domestic flights in China. Sports as a hobby were not widely practiced, let alone traveling. But now, the number of Chinese people participating in ultramarathons has skyrocketed. A similar thing has happened in India. Smaller European countries like Poland and Romania have joined the ranks, along with countries from South America. Social media has helped grow the ranks.
So who takes part? The participants come from all walks of life. Individuals from any profession or any country. But there’s one common link: people who want to challenge themselves and keep learning. A typical participant is often a high-achiever with a mindset for exploration. Being a sports person is less of a definer. Many have never completed a marathon before stepping up to this challenge.
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