Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2014

The Long March

News Release / 12.10.2014

The Spanish double Olympian has done it. Chema Martinez Fernandez won 'The Long March' this afternoon, completing the 77.8 kilometer course with a time of 7:55:24. 

“Today I feel better,” he said as he came over the finish line. “In the final stage, I wanted to run under eight hours and I did. I want to run with the best in the world and now in the long races in the desert I feel good.” 

Herbert Lehner of Austria was the second over the line, finishing with a time of 9:16:01. He was followed an hour later by Jonty Cowan and Félix Allen who arrived in joint third position with a time of 10:10:42. “I can't believe we're here,” said Allen. “That was long!” 

In the women's category, Emily Woodland and Cat Simpson—both British racers—arrived over the line hand-in-hand with fellow Brit James Watkins in sixth position overall and an impressive time of 10:54:30. The three shared an emotional hug at the finish line. 

The 77.8-kilometer Long March started at 8:00 this morning with 129 competitors heading out into the challenging course. They have been moving through a range of amazing scenery, from moon-like valleys to sand dunes and endless plateaus whitened by salt crust and pure Atacama Desert. 

After the race leaders arrived in the afternoon, there has been a steady flow of people appearing over the line. Many competitors are still out on the course now—moving under the glowing light of the full moon. They will be continuing through the night; all are now between Checkpoint 4 and Checkpoint 7 and camp. 

It has been a day of truly positive spirits throughout the course. The mood at camp is festive with drums and music playing at the finish line where competitors are congregating to cheer their friends and fellow racers over the finish line to much cheering and applause. 

British competitor Jonathan Mills came over the line and said it has been the hardest week of his life. He lay down on the mat in the checkpoint tent to rest after finishing. 

Other competitors are sitting around the campfire eating, telling stories about the day and soaking up the warm rays of the fire. The camp has been designed in the shape of the number 10 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the race. 

The Long March came to a close at 08:10 next morning—two hours before the cut-off time—as the final competitor, Mike Smith of the United Kingdom, crossed the finish line just over 24 hours after the start of the 77.8 kilometer course.  

It had been a long stage for many as they crossed the otherworldly setting of the Atacama Desert at night, pushing their bodies to extraordinary new frontiers, with just the moon and glow sticks illuminating their way. Cheering for the finishers continued throughout the overnight stage, with drumming, music and loud encouragement offered to racers as they moved into sight and the final few hundred meters. Volunteers danced to keep themselves warm in the chilly desert air.  

The results are now online, showing racer leader Chema Martinez Fernandez nearly five hours ahead of the field. Emily Woodland has also put in an extraordinary result, so far coming in fifth overall position as well as first-placed woman. For many here today, it was simply the joy at finishing this arduous stage.  

Competitors spent the day relaxing in the sun and making the most of the scenery all around them at this final campsite next to Moon Valley. Last blogs from the field were sent, with some Long March finishers getting very emotional, with tears falling as they read their latest messages of encouragement from family and friends willing them on from all around the world.

 In the evening, founder of the 4 Deserts Race Series Mary Gadams brought out a special Atacama Crossing birthday cake, which was positively devoured in a matter of seconds after being cut. Competitors literally jumped at the opportunity to supplement their emptied-out food resources with this much-deserved treat. It was hard to believe how quickly they grouped about the table and then quickly dispersed, leaving nothing but crumbs.

 The atmosphere in the evening remained cheerful, with lots of happy chatter about both the experience of the past week and what tomorrow morning will bring. A pleasant warm breeze of around 20 Celsius and an extremely clear, starry sky is making this a beautiful last camp night. 

Tomorrow’s final stage is called Final Footsteps to San Pedro. It is a timed stage and a 9.3 kilometer course through the Moon Valley and then into the square of San Pedro de Atacama for the finish line.

­