Sabkhas, Sand And Sandals

Midnight 50km Ultra on the Tropic of Cancer

- David O'Hara

Running Max Calderan’s Tropic of Cancer 50km Ultramarathon in the Liwa Desert is an epic night event, and not just because of running sand dunes and sabkhas (more on sabkhas later) in darkness. Running in the moonlight of the Empty Quarter is like running on the dark side of the moon – much different than running on rocks in Kalba or at high elevation in Nepal. When you run the desert at night, there are so few landmarks to guide you – you just try to run straight to the lights of the 4x4s marking the turns.

Simplicity of Running

The 50km route is simple: run along the sand dunes about 10km until you get to a fence (minor panic thought: how do you see the fence in the darkness?). Turn left at the fence and run up and over more sand dunes about 5km until you get to the salt flats. Turn left and run along the salt flats around 10km. Albert (from @WeekendsWithAlbert fame) is waiting there in his 4x4 with his bright light rack on, and then turn around and run back the same way. There is beauty in the simplicity of having only three turning points in 50km.

Sandals on the Dark Side of the Moon