Peruvian runners finish in top three in the first Marathon Des Sables Peru

• Aldo Ramírez and Rocío Carrión won the second and third positions in their respective categories.
• More than 300 marathon runners from 40 countries ran a total of 250 kilometers in the Ica deserts between Nasca and Paracas.

Peruvian marathon runners Aldo Ramírez and Rocío Carrión took second and third place in their respective categories in the first year of the Marathon des Sables Peru (MDS), which brought together more than 300 athletes from 40 countries who traveled 250 kilometers through the Ica desert between Nasca and Paracas.

The winner of this competition was the Moroccan Rachid El Morabity, followed by the Peruvian Ramírez and the French Erik Clavery in the men's category. Among the women, the Frenchwoman Nathalie Mauclair won the first place, followed by her teammate Mélanie Rousset and the Peruvian Carrión.

The race, one of the most extreme in the world, involved a walk crossing divided into six stages by the unequaled landscapes that our desert offers. The results of the competition were close and, despite the exhaustion of the athletes, the enthusiasm and joy of the participants continued through the end of the race.

The Moroccan Rachid El Morabity, five-time champion of the historic Marathon Des Sables, which has been held for 32 years in Morocco, like other riders from different parts of the world have highlighted the challenge that the Peruvian terrain has represented in each of the stages of the competition. The race started in Cahuachi, passing through Coyungo, Samaca, Ocucaje, Barlovento, Mendieta and ending in the area called 'La Catedral' in the Paracas National Reserve.

"The Marathon des Sables Peru has been an unforgettable adventure for foreign and Peruvian participants and, also, has represented the opportunity for the promotion of one of the wonders of our country not very well known abroad: our desert bathed by the sea. This competition has been followed by media such as CNN, Euronews, Agence France Presse and Reuters, which have allowed thousands of people around the world to know a little more about our Peru", said Isabella Falco, Director of Communications and Country Image of PROMPERU.

The Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sands, by its name in French) is a competition of self-sufficiency in which each competitor must run carrying their food and everything they need to survive during the competition in the middle of the desert, making it one of the world’s most extreme tests. Each day, the organization prepares the camps to receive and provide medical assistance to the athletes in each of the stages.

The beauty of the landscapes, the natural wealth, the mysticism of the archaeological sites and the difficulty of the route is something that has fascinated competitors and organizers. This only reaffirms that Peru is a destination where it is possible to carry out international level competitions.