{"id":1179,"date":"2014-02-06T19:14:42","date_gmt":"2014-02-06T19:14:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/blog\/?page_id=1179"},"modified":"2014-04-22T19:03:51","modified_gmt":"2014-04-22T19:03:51","slug":"notes-from-the-road-mar-24","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/blog\/?page_id=1179","title":{"rendered":"Notes from the Road – MAR 24"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NOTES FROM THE ROAD<\/h2>\n
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< more recent<\/a> | 24 MAR 2014 | older ><\/a> <\/p>\n

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LEG 4: THE FIRST MARATHON — DAY TWO<\/h5>\n


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Day two of the first marathon leg of the rally brings the teams to a new bivouac at Tinfou<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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24 MARCH 2014:<\/strong> They call it the marathon leg. It\u2019s long, grueling, and a true test of character. Yesterday morning, competitors packed tents, sleeping bags, food for 48-hours and collected their maps and headed south into the desert. One of the biggest tests of the rally, the marathon leg (the first of two) takes the Gazelles through some of the most desolate and beautiful terrain in the country.

\nThis morning, the teams pack up their tents and set off. They have six more checkpoints to get through today. Most of the teams are starting at CP 6, but some still need to check in at CP 5 before continuing the course. There have been a few calls for mechanical assistance yesterday, and already early this morning a few more.

\nOn the way to CP 7 they will cross the vast sandy plains of Oued Bou Haira, where the colour of the dunes resembles the coral of their vests. Curious formations shaped like tables and tajine dishes loom on the horizon. The routes are long and sometimes criss-cross: it’s enough to confuse anyone! Exhausted after 4 non-stop days, some Gazelles start to crack. Tears, moments of self-doubt. This is where solidarity comes into play. After a kind word, a tap on the back, a willing ear, they are ready to carry on.

\nThe sand is followed by rocks\u2026 too many rocks, and a trail leading nowhere! A group of Gazelles make a U-turn: No pass here. Off they go in search of the twelfth and final red flag, and then the bivouac.

\nBy 3pm the first teams start trickling in to the new bivouac. Some teams decide to skip the last few checkpoints to make it in before dark. By 11:30PM the last stragglers reached the bivouac, and all the Gazelles had made it to base.

\nLeg 4 is over, but tomorrow is another two-day marathon. The adventure continues!
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\nFor more live coverage of Today’s event from the official Rally site: English<\/a> | Fran\u00e7ais<\/a><\/p>\n


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VIDEO: LEG 4 – THE FIRST MARATHON<\/h5>\n


Gazelles TV presents the fourth leg of the competition — The First Marathon. [Sorry for the obligatory advertisement at the start of this clip, it comes as part of the embedded resource, not our site.<\/em>]<\/p>\n