Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2014

Frontrunners Sustain Lead In The Slot Canyons

News Release / 07.10.2014

Jose Manuel (Chema) Martinez of Spain has kept his strong lead in the second stage of the Atacama Crossing, crossing over the finish line in first place today at 12:30:16. 

There were changes in the field behind him, however, with British competitor Jonty Cowan moving ahead to finish in second place with a time of 13:26:41. 

He was closely followed by Felix Allen—also of the United Kingdom—who completed the course at 13:31:31. 

Emily Woodbury of the United Kingdom sustained her incredible pace, holding onto her role as first placed female again today with a finishing time of 13:47:53. 

Ireland’s Ruthann Sheahan has also kept in steady second place, completing the course at 14:00:01. British competitor Catherine Simpson came in third at 14:45:09. 

The stage opened this morning with clear skies and cool temperatures, although slightly warmer than yesterday. Competitors seemed to have rested well, with warmer overnight conditions and a minimum of just 10 degrees Celsius. While many competitors were quiet this morning, they were nonetheless eager to start the day’s stage. 

As competitors jostled around the starting line at 8am, Emily Woodland was given her leader’s bib as well as race leader, “Chema” Martinez Fernandez. We overheard someone say to a friend, “As an Olympian, he should start with a time penalty to give us at least a chance!” 

Today’s course opened with a run down to a canyon, followed by a cold river crossing of about 500 meters. The runners had to be very careful to avoid slipping and losing glasses or hats or soaking their backpacks. “The river was cold,” said women’s leader, Emily Woodland. “It definitely woke me up!” 

“The first two to three hours, with the river crossing, were phenomenal,” said British competitor, David Shakrob. “It was beyond beautiful.” 

Wet shoes and shorts quickly dried however as runners approached the Salar de Atacama – the famed salt flats. From here, any coolness from the water soon evaporated. “I think there’s steam coming off my feet,” said Ruthann Sheahan as she later came into a checkpoint. 

A highlight of the stage was running down enormous sand dunes. People let loose and joyfully ran down them, laughing all the way down. However, next they had to contend with the final kilometers until “the last tree in the desert,” which involved moving through an exposed, hot environment. 

Many competitors said it was a particularly hard part of the day. “That was a tough day,” said Steven Shapland. “There were some really tough climbs out there.” 

The final competitor over the line and heading into camp was Mariano Burundarena of Argentina. 

Camp 3 is set up on Laguna Cejar and overlooking two salt flat lakes— with sweeping vistas of mountains on four sides.. The shallow, salt-water pools are fed by sinkholes—adding more otherworldly beauty. 

The mood at camp has been more subdued this evening, perhaps because of the heat of the day. However, once everyone cooled down, people became more chatty. The camp layout is intimate tonight, with tents closer to each other and groups of people huddled around, talking and laughing. With a pleasant nighttime temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, people are wearing shorts at night for the first time. 

With the withdrawals of the day, a total of 146 competitors now remain in the race. Tomorrow, they face the third stage. Named The Atacamerios Trail, it is a 40.6-kilometer course through the flat area of the salar and through Laguna Liona. Competitors will see a total elevation gain of 261 meters and a loss of 150 meters.

You can follow the live race coverage at www.4deserts.com/atacamacrossing

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