Book Review - The Marathon des Sables by Mark Hines

It has taken me some time to fit in reading it, but it was clear from the start that this book would be something of an oracle of knowledge for the MdS virgin. Whilst the girls have been visiting; I have managed about 10 pages on the way to and from work each day. As I read I took notes of things that I didn’t know about the MdS and thought that I could summarise the book into key points for those who do not have time to read it.

The first thing that the book helped me realise was that I had been roughly planning a kit list in my head, but I had not considered what might break and what items were too valuable not to have a spare or repair for (p13) - a needle and thread and a spare pair of gaiters could well be on the list! What I did come to appreciate is how my military training had given me the fundamentals of walking/tabbing/running with weight – this I had taken for granted (p24).

Hines’ basic analysis of training requirements is highly logical; he looks at the characteristics and disciplines required to complete the race, and addresses those areas lacking in his own body. He then concentrated his training on making up the delta (P14). He suggests that whilst weight training on leg muscles is a good idea when starting out, once into fully fledged cross-country running training, there is little that weight training can offer in comparison to the stresses that off-road running cannot (p18).

Mark’s knowledge of biochemistry and physiology is comprehensive. His advice on electrolytes, isotonic balances, importance of sodium replacement (p19) and explanations of the effect of extreme training on the heart (p97) are laced throughout the book and have been invaluable.

I learned a lot about the format of the race from the book. For instance; the check-points are roughly 10-12km apart, a 1.5l water bottle is given to each runner at each one, and that not much reserve water is carried by most runners. This will reduce the total weight that I anticipated carrying. The food checks to see that sufficient food is carried are not stringent and calories are not counted exactly, it is more of a sanity check, so time needn’t be wasted formulating a list of all content, just have enough (p127). Mark recommends snacks be carried enough for something at each check point, so enough for the correct number of check-points per day (p211). The appendix has Mark’s recommended list of meals and food types (p262).

In terms of equipment, I have been reassured that my purchase of a 2 season sleeping bag is a good choice, as the 300g bags could see people suffering from the cold (p125) – I’d rather carry an additional 300g and be comfortable and get proper rest! Other top tips were to take condoms to be used as inflatable pillows (p118) and tweezers for foot reparation (p180). There is a suggested kit list (p258) to be used in conjunction with the MdS mandatory list.

As well as these key points the book is full of information that others may not have already picked up on, but more importantly it gives a real feel of the atmosphere of the event and the reader gains a real sense of what to expect from the environment and conditions. It communicates the low-down and dirty, infantry-style way of living that must be adapted to for the week. I would highly recommend that this be read from cover to cover by anyone contemplating participation in MdS.