Latest news with #Sahara
The Independent
2 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
How Tom Evans went from never running more than 10k to becoming one of the world's best ultra runners
Have you ever been on the wrong end of a drunken bet? If so, chances are you wound up downing a pint, texting an ex or generally embarrassing yourself. It probably didn't end with you standing on the podium of the Marathon Des Sables – a 251km multi-stage race across the Sahara Desert. But that's exactly what happened to Tom Evans in 2016. The then British Army captain was enjoying a tipple or two with friends who had just finished the race, when he drunkenly suggested he could beat their times – despite never having run more than 10km. Fast forward 10 months and he was good to his word, becoming the first non-sub Saharan male to finish in the top three. In doing so, he stumbled across the centre of a Venn diagram comprising activities he loved and activities he happened to be incredibly good at. So, in 2019, the now 33-year-old left the army to become a full-time ultra runner, and now the Red Bull athlete regularly travells across the globe to compete against the sport's elite. Below he reveals the merits of traipsing around the Lake District's testing topography for five hours, and why the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc remains his white whale. Tom Evans' training schedule When someone quantifies their weekly running in hours rather than miles, you can be certain they run a lot. 'It's a very time-consuming hobby,' Evans laughs. 'Now, I won't really bother going for a run if it's not at least 90 minutes. In a typical week I will be running for around 20 hours, and biking for about 10 hours.' The pro runner's week comprises a version of training every day – even his 'rest' days include one of these minimum 90-minute runs. From Monday through to Sunday, Evans will be running. This is what his training schedule usually looks like. 'I don't really take a full day off unless I really need to, but as a full-time athlete there is so much stuff I can be doing on a recovery day,' Evans says. 'I've started doing reformer Pilates fairly recently, so I do that once a week on a Monday – that's a 90-minute session. Then I'll go to the gym or I might jump on my bike for an hour, so even on a recovery day you're still training for three to four hours.' Tuesday: ' Double threshold day' 'In the morning I'll typically do something faster and flatter, like a fairly standard session for me is six by 2km,' says Evans. 'There's a loop in Loughborough where I live called the 2km loop, and it's where Paula Radcliffe did all of her training when she was up here. It's not a beautiful run whatsoever, it goes through two different housing estates, but it's as close to a closed road as you can get. You might see one car in a 70-minute session. 'Then in the evening, I'll typically be on my treadmill doing something like 20x1min at threshold pace at an incline of 25 per cent, or something similar.' Wednesday: 'A long day on tired legs' ' I'll drive up to the Peak District or the Lake District or Snowdon, then I'll do somewhere between four and five hours, at a very easy pace, just [to practise] running on tired legs.' Thursday: 'Another recovery-ish day' ' This would typically involve a 90-minute run in the morning, then a longer ride in the afternoon – two or three hours on the bike.' Friday: 'Another double run day focussing on longer reps' 'I might do something like five to eight by 10 minutes uphill, at a marathon effort that's still quite hard but sustainable,' he says. 'And in the afternoon, because Friday is normally a double run day, I will go and run another 10-12km in the afternoon.' Saturday and Sunday: 'Long back to back days' 'Again, I'd go to the Lake District or the Peak District, then I'd do four hours on Saturday and four hours on Sunday,' Evans says. 'Normally one of those days will have a bit of a session built into it, so maybe something like five by five minutes tempo or two rounds of 10 minutes at race pace, just to mix things up a little bit. And that wraps up a pretty standard week.' Tom Evans sample workout Complete six rounds of the following sequence: Run 2km at threshold pace (3min/km for Evans, representing a 4:1 work:rest ratio) Rest 90 seconds 'I think it's really important to train both faster and slower than you're going to run on race day,' Evans says. This is an example of a shorter, faster session for him. This might surprise some people, given his propensity for covering incredibly long distances. But there are surges within a race, particularly during the first kilometre, and it pays to keep pace with the front runners. 'For me, one of my strengths is being able to run at a 3min/km pace and have it not cost that much,' says Evans. 'I know in a race, if I put a surge in that's a little bit faster, people will keep up, but it will cost them far more than it will cost me. It might not break them immediately, but we probably still have five, six, 10 hours of racing to do, and eventually it will break them.' The diet of an ultra runner If we went through everything Evans ate in a week to support his colossal training load, we might be here a while. Instead, I pried into what his intra-workout nutrition looked like, and it's certainly interesting. 'At the moment I'm working a little bit on body composition and trying to do a bit more fasted training and really optimise my body's ability to burn fats,' he says. 'Having Red Bull Zero – something that has no calories in but still has 80mg of caffeine – is incredibly useful because it gives me the caffeine I need to fuel these fasted sessions while at the same time allowing my body to use fat reserves and the glycogen that's already in my body. 'That doesn't mean I don't eat carbs at all. I probably do that [fasted training] once, maybe twice, a week. Then everything else is fuelled by between 100 and 120g of carbohydrate. To do that I'll use a mixture of real food, sports drinks and normal full fat Red Bull.' And how does one consume 100-plus grams of carbs while on the go? A potato sandwich of sorts, Evans says. 'For the fast races you can do it off gels and liquids, but in longer races like the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB – a 106-mile race through the Alps) I'm having real food as well. 'One of my favourite real foods would be a flatbread wrap with mashed potato or mashed sweet potato inside. You get a mixture of simple and complex carbohydrates, and it's a great way to get tasty food that's easily digestible at the same time.' Avoiding the dreaded 'red line' With his high weekly running volume, Evans says he's 'constantly on the red line' as far as recovery and injury is concerned. For that reason, what he does away from the trails is just as important as what he does on them. 'I do my mobility and my activation stuff in the morning before training, but around that typically if I'm not training I'm not training, so I'll sit on the sofa with my recovery boots on and basically just chill,' he says. 'I think that's one of the great things about being a professional athlete; you have the time to do those things.' Evans will also incorporate strength training exercises into his week such as plyometrics and heavy weighted step-ups to strengthen the tissues in his lower limbs and 'coach the body into recruiting as many muscle fibres as possible'. 'The more workers you have, the quicker the job can be done, so my strength work is very much on trying to recruit as many muscle fibres as possible,' he explains. Sleep is another important tool in Evans' recovery armoury, and thanks to his military background Evans says he can do it any time, anywhere – even while standing up on some occasions. He aims for roughly 10 hours each night, leaving his phone outside the bedroom and donning a sleep mask to improve the quality of his slumber. 'I also try to have a nap every afternoon,' he adds. People say you should get eight hours of sleep per night, but I try to get an extra eight hours of napping over the course of a week. That's a rule of thumb for me, and I've found it works quite well.' However, when we spoke he was weeks away from becoming a father for the first time. His daughter Phoebe Evans arrived on May 13. 'I'm sure with a baby the napping is going to be a little bit more tricky, so I'm banking my sleep now and letting the interest run on it, although I'm told it doesn't really work like that,' he jokes. What's next for ultra runner Tom Evans? The obvious answer to this question is fatherhood – a prospect Evans describes as 'a cause for congratulations and also bloody terrifying at the same time'. But speaking to him, it quickly becomes clear that he has unfinished business with one race in particular: the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. 'We'll have a baby, and from there I'll stay at home for a little bit,' he says. 'Then I guess my big goal for this year is UTMB in Chamonix at the end of August. 'It's been a race that's eluded me so far. I'm very meticulous in race planning and race strategies, and a lot of the time I get it right. Whereas with this race I've never got it quite right. 'It's definitely a big itch to scratch. I'm planning to have a better race this year, and I have a couple of new strategies that we will implement in the race and add into training to try and get the result I'm searching for.'
Arab News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
What We Are Reading Today: Desert Edens
Author: Philipp Lehmann From the 1870s to the mid-20th century, European explorers, climatologists, colonial officials, and planners were avidly interested in large-scale projects that might actively alter the climate. Uncovering this history, 'Desert Edens' looks at how arid environments and an increasing anxiety about climate in the colonial world shaped this upsurge in ideas about climate engineering. From notions about the transformation of deserts into forests to Nazi plans to influence the climates of war-torn areas, Philipp Lehmann puts the early climate change debate in its environmental, intellectual, and political context, and considers the ways this legacy reverberates in the present climate crisis. Lehmann examines some of the most ambitious climate-engineering projects to emerge in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Confronted with the Sahara in the 1870s, the French developed concepts for a flooding project that would lead to the creation of a man-made Sahara Sea.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Sahara desert sands swallow ancient town and its trove of medieval manuscripts
From his roof, Sidi Mohamed Lemine Sidiya scans the medieval town of Oualata, a treasure that is disappearing under the sands of the Sahara desert. 'It's a magnificent, extraordinary town,' said Sidiya, who is battling to preserve the place known as the 'Shore of Eternity'. Oualata is one of a Unesco-listed quartet of ancient, fortified towns, or ksour, which in their heyday were trading and religious centres and now hold jewels dating back to the Middle Ages. Doors crafted from acacia wood and adorned with traditional motifs painted by local women still dot the town. Oualata's imam and caretaker of its library of medieval manuscripts, Mohamed Ben Baty, enters his traditionally decorated home in the Mauritanian town. Photo: AFP Centuries-old manuscripts, a rich source of cultural and literary heritage handed down through the generations, are also held in family libraries. But the town in the southeast of Mauritania near the border with Mali in northwest Africa is vulnerable to the ravages of the Sahara's extreme conditions.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
The coolest running events around the world, from Andes ultra marathons to Italian parkruns
To hit the ground running, little equipment or kit is needed. Team this up with the social aspects of run clubs and park runs, plus the mental and physical health benefits, and it's not surprising there has been a vast uptick in people pulling on their running shoes. From couch-to-5k schemes, to runs across the entire length of Africa, it's a community that thrives in a challenge and taking part in events. This year, a record-breaking number of runners crossed the finish line at the London Marathon, an event that captivates the nation every year, and inspires many to take up the sport. For some, a jog around the local park won't cut it. These runners need to go big and are willing to travel around the world to put themselves through their paces in global events. Known as 'running tourism', this new breed of active holiday often spotlights overlooked destinations, offering an entirely new perspective on a place. Sometimes runners will travel to take part in a particular prestigious race, like the Boston Marathon or UTMB. In other cases, it's to experience running across a whole new lanscape, such as across the Sahara Desert or through Patagonia's peaks. And you don't have to be a seasoned runner to enjoy this sort of holiday. Plenty of events offer shorter distances, including 5k and 10k races, and even runs for children. We've rounded up some of the coolest events around the world to seek that runners' high, while also getting to experience amazing landscapes. 1. PolarNight Marathon and Midnight Sun Marathon Tromsø, Norway Its extreme location 200 miles north of the Arctic circle means Tromsø has seasons like no other. From November to January, the city descends into full darkness, while it experiences full hours of sun between May and July. The city's two marathons offer runners from around the world the opportunity to embrace a unique climate. The PolarNight Marathon is a chance to run beneath the Northern Lights, or you can opt to run in the slightly bewildering constant daylight (even when it's actually nighttime) as the sun never sets at this time of year, during the Midnight Sun Marathon. With shorter distances available, this is a novel way to immerse yourself in the area's beauty. Where to stay Right on the water, from Clarion Hotel The Edge, you can take in the views over the Tromsøysundet strait both from your bedroom and rooftop terrace bar. As its walking distance from many attractions, you can slip out easily to enjoy the rest of Tromsø post-race. 2. Man V Horse Marathon, Powys, Wales As the name suggests the Man V Horse puts runners up against horses (and their riders) in a marathon across the rough terrain of Powys in mid-Wales. Founded in 1980, the idea for the race was curiously sparked up after a landlord overheard a conversation at a pub suggesting that at a great distance, any man is equal to a horse. It was only after 25 years of the race that this point could be proven as Huw Lobb clipped his equine challenger to the finish with a time of two hours and five minutes. Set within rich green hills, combine the race with a break exploring the region steeped in Welsh history and arts. Found in Llangammarch Wells, The Lake Country House Hotel and Spa is a Welsh country retreat with lavishly furnished rooms. Relax and ease achy your muscles in its swimming pool and sauna after tackling the hills. 3. Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc, Médoc, France Combining 'wine, sports, fun and health', the Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc doesn't take itself too seriously. From the start line near Bordeaux, the route takes runners through 59 vineyards where they are encouraged to sample the local wine and local specialties from oysters to steak, all while wearing compulsory fancy dress. With a focus on enjoyment, it's an event for all running levels. La Maison Reverdi is a historic guest house with boutique features, a small pool and a terrace. Fuel up before the marathon at the selection of delicious pastries served at breakfast. 4. Parkrun, Lucca, Italy Since the very first in London's Bushy Park in 2004, parkrun has gone global, with volunteer-led 5k events now taking place every weekend in 22 countries. This worldwide movement has given rise to a niche community of 'parkrun tourists' – dedicated runners who travel the world to tick off locations and meet fellow enthusiasts. Among the many locations now to choose from, Lucca in Italy is often heralded the most special. In Italy's Tuscan region, the fortified city is famed for its well-preserved Renaissance ramparts, which encircle the historic centre. Parkrunners swing around the tree-lined pathways atop of these medieval walls, enjoying privileged views of the city and a backdrop of the Apuan Alps and Pisan Mountain Range. With rustic furnishings, exposed walls and medieval features, embrace Lucca's historic charm at Luxury Corte Di Re Artù. The elegant four-poster beds are a dream to wake up in before taking on the parkrun. 5. Meridian Hydro Half Marathon, Te Anau, Fiordland New Zealand Home to massive fjords, snow-clad mountains, and dramatic waterfalls, the Meridian Hydro Half Marathon is a unique way to embrace the spectacular beauty of Fiordland, New Zealand. Beneath the shadow of the magnificent Mount Titiroa, the route snakes through beech forest and alongside the crystal clear Waiau River finishing at the stunning Te Anau lake. Passing Tui Bay and the Te Anau Bird Sanctuary, spotting New Zealand's native birds, a takahē and kākā, offer an interesting running distraction. It's an inclusive and community-focused event, and all the money raised is dedicated to the preservation of the trail. On the banks of Lake Te Anau, Fiordland Lakeview Motel and Apartments, unsurprisingly, offers stunning views and is within walking distance to Te Anau town centre. It's an ideal spring-board to explore the beautiful national park. 6. The Cabbage Marathon Tsumagoi Village, Gunma, Japan As one of Japan's main producers of cabbages, Tsumagoi Village celebrates its agricultural heritage with its unique half marathon. The route takes runners from Lake Baragi at the base of Mount Azumaya, through lush cabbage fields, and past Aisai no Oka or The Hill of the Beloved Wife – a point steeped in romantic legend, where visitors cry out their declarations of love. Fittingly in a village whose name means 'love for wife', the event embraces the romantic spirit by encouraging participants to enter as couples or as parent-child pairs. And if scenery and sentiment aren't enough – every runner goes home with Tsumagoi Highland cabbage and a cabbage cooler bag to keep it safe. Where to stay In neighbouring Kusatsu Onsen, Kusatsu Onsen Hotel Village is a serene retreat with indoor and outdoor hot spring baths, as well as saunas and pools. Hire a hotel bike to cycle around the mountainous green surroundings while giving your feet a deserved break. 7. Reverse London Marathon, London As one of the most iconic running events in the world, a ballot ticket to the London Marathon is one of the most-sought after. With a record-breaking 1.1 million entries for the race in 2026, the competition has never been more fierce. So if you, like many others, can't break past the spectator barriers, why not join the keen group who go out the night before and run it in reverse? Starting at midnight, the runners use the very course laid out for the morning but set off from Central London between 2am and 4am to the finish line at Greenwich. It's free to join the group who are now in their hundreds. Bright, modern and well-equipped Staycity Greenwich is ideally placed in the city to watch the marathon the following morning. After the excitement, explore the cultural offerings on the hotel's doorsteps like the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum. 8. Aconcagua Ultra Trail, Mendoza, Argentina Set beneath the towering Mount Aconcagua – the highest peak in the world outside the Himalayas – this ultra marathon is a true test of physical and mental endurance. The Aconcagua Ultra Trail begins at over 2,500m above sea level and climbs to dizzying heights of 4,000m. Its rugged out-and-back route offers a unique way to experience the raw beauty of the Argentine Andes. Due to the challenging weather, lack of oxygen and gnarly hills, the event should generally only be attempted by experienced runners. Where to stay W&H Casa de Huéspedes is right in the action, so you can experience of the best bits of Mendoza's food and cultural life after recovering from your run. Its minimalistic décor compliments the city's relaxed cosmopolitan vibe while contrasting with the rugged adventure of the Andes.
Al Jazeera
5 days ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Preserving Oualata's fragile manuscript legacy amid desert threats
Oualata forms part of a quartet of fortified towns, or ksour, granted World Heritage status for their historical significance as trading and religious centres. Today, they preserve vestiges of a rich medieval past. Throughout Oualata, doors fashioned from acacia wood, adorned with traditional designs painted by local women, punctuate the earthen facades. Family libraries safeguard centuries-old manuscripts, invaluable records of cultural and literary heritage passed down through generations. Yet, Oualata's proximity to the Malian border leaves it acutely vulnerable to the unforgiving environment of the Sahara. Scorching heat and seasonal downpours have left piles of stone and gaping holes in the town's historical walls, the aftermath of especially severe recent rains. 'Many houses have collapsed because of the rains,' said Khady, standing beside her crumbling childhood home, now her inheritance from her grandparents. Depopulation has only accelerated Oualata's decline. 'The houses became ruins because their owners left them,' explained Sidiya, who is a member of a national foundation dedicated to preserving the country's ancient towns. For generations, Oualata's population has steadily dwindled as residents depart in search of work, leaving the historical buildings neglected. The traditional structures, coated in reddish mud-brick known as banco, were crafted to withstand the desert climate, but require maintenance after each rainy season. Much of the Old Town now stands abandoned, with only about one-third of its buildings inhabited. 'Our biggest problem is desertification. Oualata is covered in sand everywhere,' Sidiya said. According to Mauritania's Ministry of Environment, approximately 80 percent of the country is affected by desertification – an advanced stage of land degradation caused by 'climate change (and) inappropriate operating practices'. By the 1980s, even Oualata's mosque was submerged in sand. 'People were praying on top of the mosque' rather than inside, recalled Bechir Barick, a geography lecturer at Nouakchott University. Despite the relentless sands and wind, Oualata still preserves relics from its days as a key stop on trans-Saharan caravan routes and a renowned centre of Islamic learning. As the town's imam, Mohamed Ben Baty descends from a distinguished line of Quranic scholars and is the custodian of nearly a millennium of scholarship. The family library he oversees houses 223 manuscripts, the oldest dating back to the 14th century. In a cramped, cluttered room, he half-opened a cupboard to display its precious contents – fragile, centuries-old documents whose survival is nothing short of remarkable. 'These books, at one time, were very poorly maintained and exposed to destruction,' Ben Baty said, gesturing towards pages marked by water stains, now stored in plastic sleeves. 'Books in the past were stored in trunks, but when it rains, the water seeps in and can spoil the books,' he explained, recalling when part of the roof collapsed eight years ago during the rainy season. Spain provided funding in the 1990s for a library in Oualata, supporting the restoration and digital preservation of more than 2,000 books. However, continued preservation of these documents now relies on the dedication of a handful of enthusiasts like Ben Baty, who does not live in Oualata year-round. 'The library needs a qualified expert to ensure its management and sustainability because it contains a wealth of valuable documentation for researchers in various fields: languages, Quranic sciences, history, astronomy,' he said. Oualata's isolation hinders the development of tourism – there is no hotel, and the nearest town is a two-hour journey across rough terrain. The town's location in a region where many nations advise against travel, citing the threat of rebel violence, further complicates prospects. Efforts to counter the encroaching desert have included the planting of trees around Oualata three decades ago, but Sidiya admits these measures were insufficient. A number of initiatives have been launched to rescue Oualata and the three other ancient towns inscribed together on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1996. Each year, a festival is held in one of the four towns to raise funds for restoration and investment, and to encourage more people to remain. As the sun sets behind the Dhaar mountains and the desert air cools, the streets of Oualata fill with the sounds of children at play, and the ancient town briefly springs back to life.
