Hit by daily 60 mile per hour winds, Gobi March competitors complete
250 kilometer footrace across great Gobi Desert in northwest China;
Asians take top positions in male and female divisions
June 12, 2006 - On June 3, 2006 nearly 100 competitors representing
20 countries crossed the finish line in a small village in remote
Hami in Xinjiang Province, China, having completed the 250 kilometer,
six-stage, seven-day footrace across one of the harshest landscapes
and climates on Earth – the Gobi Desert in China.
The overall winner was Byeung Sik Ahn of Korea who completed the
six-stages in a total of 27:46:41. The women's division winner was
Kazuko Kaihata of Japan who finished in a total time of 33:00:16.
The second place men's winner was Francesco Galanzino from Italy
who completed the race in 28:30:56. Robin D. James, a British national
who resides in Hong Kong, finished third in a time of 28:48:29.
The second place women's winner was Theresa M. Schneider from the
United States and in third place was Michelle B. Maislen of the
United States. Team Chunghwa Telecom/MAGO, consisting of Kevin Lin
of Taiwan, Charles R. Engle of the United States and Ray Zahab of
Canada, won the team division in a time of 28:45:39.
The full field of competitors was both competitive and diverse,
with past winners Kevin Lin (Atacama Crossing 2004), Charles R.
Engle (Gobi March 2003), Ray Zahab (Sahara Race 2005) and Theresa
M. Schneider (Sahara Race 2005) present. The youngest competitor
was 22-year-old Shiyu Chen from China and the oldest, Kazuo Isomura
from Japan, aged 67. Also among the competitors were professional
executives, entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, lawyers and
bankers.
Day one proved to be very tough with a six-kilometer crossing of
salt flats. Patrick Rummerfield, the world’s first fully recovered
quadriplegic completed the crossing of the salt flats and went on
to complete the stage in 15:36:10. Patrick, a finisher of the Hawaii
Ironman, remarked "Completing just one stage of the Gobi March was
the toughest thing I have ever done in my life, without question."
By day two competitors were hit with high winds but rewarded with
spectacular landscape and rich culture straddling the Tian Shan
Mountains. Day two saw several competitors drop out, but overall
the field remained in good health. Stage three included a crossing
of the Tian Shan mountains and was referred to by competitors as
the most spectacular scenery they had ever encountered.
Stages four and five comprised the longest stages, with each between
50 – 60 kilometers in length. Stage four included a fierce tail
wind that helped competitors set record times for the stage. Stage
five included a canyon which proved to be extremely hot with many
competitors running out of water before the next checkpoint.
By completing the Gobi March™, competitors completed one leg of
the 4 Deserts series which takes individuals and teams across the
world`s largest and most forbidding landscapes and climates in the
world. Competitors who complete the Gobi March in China, the Atacama
Crossing in Chile and the Sahara Race in Egypt will qualify for
The Last Desert in Antarctica, an epic event that presents the final
challenge in the series – the windiest and coldest place on Earth.
Competitors in the Gobi March 2005 and 2006 raised more than US$250,000
to support two medical missions in China, in Xian and Urumqi, treating
more than 250 children born with severe, and at times life threatening,
facial deformities. Many competitors also raised money for Room
to Read, a US-based non-profit organization, helping to build schools
and fund scholarships across Southeast Asia. RacingThePlanet Limited
in conjunction with The Esquel Foundation made donations of books
to four local schools in the area where the Gobi March was held.
Fortune Magazine and Bloomberg Television were the official media
partners of the Gobi March (China) , and will also be the media
partners for the entire 4 Deserts™ series. The Coca-Cola Company
provided 23,000 bottles of Sensation water which was consumed by
both competitors and staff during the seven day period. The Esquel
Group played a major role in assisting with government relations
and logistics.
Live website coverage of the Gobi March 2006 was broadcast from
RacingThePlanet's website at www.racingtheplanet.com.
The website featured hundreds of pictures, breaking news texts,
daily journals, video clips and field updates. Full results are
also posted at www.gobimarch.com.
About the 4 Deserts™
The Gobi March™ in China is part of the 4 Deserts™,
a series of footraces across the world's most forbidding deserts:
the Atacama Crossing™ (Chile), the Sahara Race™ (Egypt),
the Gobi March™ (China) and The Last Desert™ (Antarctica).
These locations represent the driest, hottest, coldest and windiest
places on Earth. The 4 Deserts™ attract individuals from all
backgrounds and from all walks of life, the majority being professionals
including bankers, lawyers, airline pilots and medical doctors.
About RacingThePlanet®
RacingThePlanet® is an international outdoor lifestyle brand
and global leader in organizing some of the world's most prestigious
outdoor events including the 4 DesertsTM, a series of 7-day footraces
across the world's largest and most forbidding deserts. These events
include the Gobi MarchTM in China, the Atacama CrossingTM in Chile,
the Sahara RaceTM in Egypt and The Last DesertTM in Antarctica.
With several ancillary business units including an online merchandise
shop and a media content creator, RacingThePlanet® is headquartered
in Hong Kong and has representative offices in the United States,
China, Denmark, Egypt, Korea, Japan and Chile. For further information
about RacingThePlanet, please visit the website at www.racingtheplanet.com.
For further information about Gobi March in China, please contact
Catherine A. Cole at ccole@racingtheplanet.com
or visit the website at www.racingtheplanet.com
|
