First Stages of the TITAN DESERT, by Alejandro Santamaria

"From behind there are signs of true solidarity, help to repair any breakdown, share food or anything"

 

 

The trialteta Alejandro Santamaría tells us in first person what happens inside the TITAN DESERT

The prize of the first stage were the unforgettable memories for our retinas. The stunning views of the majestic Atlas.

Here the slowest were rewarded as they had more time to enjoy them and breathe the breathtaking landscapes of the mountains with the different colors offered by these Moroccan mountains.

This first stage was the hardest, with 2 hard ascents to the 2400m, all by lost roads and in few occasions crossing small almost third-world villages with an economy based on flocks of goats and small orchards.

A strong contrast for those of us who come from modern places with all kinds of luxuries. To assimilate and reflect we had many kilometers through their territories.

Being the first stage we breathed more Nerves in the exit. The 600 participants wanted to be in front. At gunwash all begin and almost all do so above their means as if by a miracle that morning they had risen from their beds with the strength to suddenly be able to dispute the stage or do it at a much higher rate than they are trained.

 

 

But with the passage of kilometers the roads are putting everyone in their place and the miracle today has not existed either. The majority ends at a rate well below the initial, almost surviving.

In the middle of the stage it is easy to guess who has started very strong. And to make it harder at the aid stations there is no food, just water and powerade, nothing more. There are also big differences between the former. The first stage has been extremely hard. More than 5h for the first ones and more than 12 for the last ones that arrive at night to the camp that is at 1800m of height and they will have to take a shower with cold water at a pleasant ambient temperature.

The slower ones will also have less time to rest and also at the height of 1800m the rest is worse and even sleeping is more difficult. This is just the beginning.

The different worlds in the race.

Luckily the second stage was easier although they were still 112km that are never few. This time the differences have been minor.

However, there are differences in the way to face and live the stages. Among the first there are less friends once they give the exit, there is no time to talk or win, those who dispute are concentrated.

 

 

However, the slower the runners go the more friends they become and the more time there is to talk and get to know each other. In the back there is no rush and it is easy to hear a, "What's your name?" "Where do you come from?" "What do you do?"

The stops in the refreshments of the first ones are very fast, in less than a minute they are back on track with the full drums. The further back the longer the stops, to refresh and rest, eat your sandwich take pictures and breathe a bit of tranquility before facing the next leg.

 Nobody stops among the first ones if someone punches or falls, they do not wait for anyone if someone has a bad time. Behind it there are signs of true solidarity, help to repair any breakdown, share food or anything.

 However, these differences end in the camp. In it all are friends and they share the daily battles of the stage while waiting for the next one. Every day the Titan Desert brings a surprise and now touches the marathon stage in self-sufficiency ....

Alejandro Santamaría