The stage is set. At 21:30 local time (15:30 Paris, 14:30 Lonon and 09:30 New York) tonight, Friday October 3rd, the Ultra Gobi 400km begins. Fifty-seven runners from around the world are gathered at the edge of the desert, ready to take on one of the toughest ultramarathons on earth.
All week, the athletes have been arriving in Dunhuang, the ancient Silk Road outpost. They’ve had time to rest, recover, and shake off the fatigue of long-haul travel.
Dunhuang offering traditional cuisine, the famous night market and an opportunity to stock up any last-min equipment, food and yes, maybe even souvenirs.
Then came the transfer to Gobi Spring, where final briefings and pre-race checks brought the reality of the challenge into sharp focus. For the participants, a night of ‘glamping’ before days and nights of deprived sleep and comfort.
Mandatory gear signed off, maps studied, last meals eaten. From here, there’s no more preparation – only the race itself.
And this is no ordinary race.
The Ultra Gobi 400km is a test of survival as much as speed. Runners must cover 400 kilometers of brutal, shifting terrain – endless sand, rocky basins, dry riverbeds, and wind-swept plains.
Days can scorch under an unrelenting sun; nights can plunge into freezing cold. Navigation, strategy, and mental resilience will be as important as strong legs and lungs.
For the competitors, the anticipation has built to a fever pitch. Months of training and sacrifice come down to this moment. There will be tension at the start line, but also a sense of awe: they’ll leave the comfort of light and noise behind and step into the vast silence of the desert.
Four hundred kilometers through landscapes that constantly shift and change. A true test of endurance, grit and self-reliance. There is one truth of the Ultra Gobi, each runner will discover where the limits truly lie.
This race doesn’t hand out easy victories. It carves stories into those who dare to take it on. Some will break; some will endure; a few will cross the finish line forever changed.
Tonight, the desert opens its gates. The Ultra Gobi 400km 2025 begins.
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IAN CORLESS 