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The 10th edition of Guadarun starts in just over a week

Jacqueline Windh / 05.04.2009

The 10th edition of Guadarun starts in just over a week. The start of this six-day staged run will be on April 13th, on the Guadeloupian island of La Désirade. Each stage takes place on a different island. In previous years, there has been one rest day in the middle of the race - five stages over six days - but this year competitors will race on all six days, with two days of competition taking place on the tiny but rugged isle of Les Saintes.

Daily distances are:
April 13: 26 km on La Désirade island
April 14: 30 km on Marie-Galante island
April 15: 18 km Terre de Bas, Les Saintes island
April 16: 17 km Terre de Haut, Les Saintes island
April 17: 25 km Basse-Terre island
April 18: 25 km Grande-Terre island
Organizers arrange all transport and food, and have medical care on-site.

They note that the route is “ideal for champions who want to travel over terrain that ranges through sandy beaches, mud, rock, trails and forest, but accessible for beginners who simply want to discover.” True - but it doesn’t really give you an idea of how much this place has to offer. Each Guadeloupian island is extremely different - ranging from rugged and rocky Les Saintes, to the tranquil tropical plantations on Marie-Galante, to the mist-covered steaming volcano of Basse-Terre, to the palm-fringed beaches of Grande-Terre. On this race, runners truly get to discover this tiny but varied archipelago. Sound interesting? I highly recommend it - I’m putting this one on my race schedule for next year (event dates April 3-11 2010) and hope to see some of you there!

For now, keep an eye on SleepMonsters for reports on this year’s competition, starting in just over a week. For more info, visit www.guadarun.com.