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RUNNING THE SAHARA EXPEDITION FINISHES IN CAIRO, EGYPT
CAIRO, EGYPT (February 20, 2007) - Independent Producers Alliance ("IPA"), a Helixx-incubated venture, announced today that the international expedition team of Charlie Engle (USA), Ray Zahab (Canada) and Kevin Lin (Taiwan) completed an unprecedented quest-Over 111 days, the three men ran 4,300 miles (69,190 km) across the Sahara Desert, through six countries: Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and Egypt. The expedition started on November 2, 2006 in St. Louis Senegal, and ended on February 20, 2007 at the Red Sea, just east of Cairo, Egypt. International Team of Three Ultra-Endurance Runners Sponsored by Magellan Complete 4,300 mile (69,190 km), 111 Day Run Across The Sahara Desert "This has been a life changing event," said expedition team leader Charlie Engle. "We touched the water in Senegal at the beginning, and we touched the Red Sea at the end. They were the bookends of our journey." Over their 111 days in the Sahara, the trio ran up to 60 miles (97 km) a day in an amazing feat of human will and endurance. The runners endured heat that exceeded 125oF (52oC), and cold below freezing. They ran every day of the expedition, regardless of the conditions. "We ran from before dawn to after dark every day, through injury and sickness," said Kevin Lin. "There were times when the finish seemed so far away, but our commitment to our goal, and the thought of seeing our friends and families pushed us through all the physical and emotional obstacles." In the final stage of the expedition on February 19 and 20, the three runners went 36 hours non-stop from the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt, to the Red Sea - a distance of approximately 109 miles (175 km). In the final 60 hours of the trek, the Runners covered nearly186 miles (300 km) with only two hours of sleep. The runners' journey was made possible by funding from expedition sponsor Magellan. Magellan provided the expedition with financial backing and supplied the team with eXplorist handheld GPS units with MapSend Software. The expedition team relied on these devices in the field to guide the run and to update their route daily, including multi-day stretches through uncharted areas with no roads (where GPS is a necessity for survival), as well as their arrival in the largest city in the continent of Africa, Cairo, through which the runners needed to navigate their shortest route to the Red Sea. The runners also used the expedition to support H2O Africa, a charitable initiative that generates awareness of the world water crisis and provides funding for a number of clean water programs in critical areas of the continent. "As we ran across the Sahara, we saw firsthand the need for clean water, which we take for granted in North America," said Ray Zahab. "People in places like Mali and Niger have such limited access to water, and when it's there it's rarely clean. Without this foundation, the health of communities across Africa is in doubt." Launched in conjunction with the ONE Campaign, H20 Africa enables the public to pledge monetary amounts per mile or make donations in support of the entire project. All monies go toward clean water programs (www.h2oafrica.org). The expedition support team (operating for over 111 days out of a small fleet of Toyota Land Cruisers and supply trucks) consisted of co-leaders Don Webster and Mohamed Ixa, Dr. Jeff Peterson, and physical therapist Chuck Dale. The Expedition was filmed for the upcoming theatrical documentary "Running the Sahara", produced by LivePlanet and Independent Producers Alliance, with production support from Allentown Productions and Life(n) Media, and financial support from Stanford Financial Group. The film is directed by Academy Award-winner® James Moll and narrated and executive produced by Matt Damon. Additional partners that supported the expedition include: Champion, by making five custom designed Champion Vapor garments for the Runners; Toyota by providing the vehicles for the Expedition Support team; UNDP, by providing production support on the ground in Africa, and the ONE Campaign, by promoting and advising Running the Sahara's charitable campaign H2O Africa. For more information, log on to www.RunningTheSahara.com.
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06 February 2012
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