Si svolgerà dal 28 al 31 maggio 2012 la Ocean Floor Race, gara non stop di 160 miglia attraverso il deserto egiziano (il "Western Egyptian Desert", parte del deserto del Sahara) e, specificatamente , attraverso quella parte conosciuta come il "Deserto bianco" che, in epoche remote, fu il fondale di un oceano.
Tempo-limite per completare la distanza sarà di 4 giorni, in parziale auto-sufficienza ma con il supporto dei GPS per mantenere la correttta direzione (che saranno dunque obbligatori), con check point collocati ogni 15 miglia dove i partecipanti avranno accesso all'acqua e potranno rifornire i loro camelbag
L'inizio della gara è fissato per il 28 maggio, ma i partecipanti dovranno riunirsi a partire dal 26 maggio (punto di raccolta sarà l'aeroporto del Cairo).
La gara è organizzata dalla compagnia britannica Fat Feet  ed è stata concepita per regalare ai runner l'esperienza di un'ultramaratona da correre no-stop in paesaggi di particolare interesse e unici per la loro bellezza.
Prima dell'inizio della gara, i partecipanti potranno disporri i loro rifornimenti personali in sacche personali che troveranno ai diversi checkpoint, cose come 1 freeze dried meal / boil in the bag meal, 2 energy bars (non melting), pack of nuts, pack of raisins, some boiled sweets, spare batteries for gps and head torch.
A gara iniziata, i partecipanti verranno guidati dal proprio GPS al checkpoint successivo situato a 15 miglia di distanza. Una volta giunti ad esso (realizzato con gazebo/tenda) essi avranno accesso al ristoro liquido predisposto (fornito di acqua a temperatura ambiente e fredda, the, caffé) e alla propria bora di rifonimenti personale.
I partecipanti avranno l'opzione di scelta (in funzione della propria abilità e preparazione) se  riposare o soltanto di riempire il proprio camelbag, prima di riprendere la via, tenendo presente che il tempo delle soste viene pure contabilizzato.
I partecipanti potranno decidere come usare il tempo a loro disposizione e decidere da sè, quando e se è il tempo di un riposo, più o meno prolungato.
L'unità GPS. Le unità GPS da utilizzare devono avere le batterie sostituibili e non quelle ricaricabili (nella speciale borsa personale ad ogni check point, andranno collocate anche batterie di ricambio per il GPS).  Gli organizzatori consigliano per il fatto di essere disponibile in questa versione il Garmin fortrex 301 o 401, entrambi i modelli da polso, con batterie sostituibili con autonomia dalle 12 alle 24 ore. Le coordinate da impostare verranno inviate ai partecipanti in prossimità della data d'inizio della gara e, all'arrivo, verranno aiutati. eventualmente, dall'équipe organizzativa a caricarle nel proprio GPS.
La gara è concepita sia per un'ampia gamma di abilità, da quelle possedute da un ultramaratoneta di élite a quelle di un esperto camminatore.
Keith Gray (organizzatore della gara) che ha corso attraverso questo deserto già due volte per testare il percorso di gara ha dichiarato: "The location is really amazing. It really does feel like you're running on another planet. Running at night is even more surreal with an unbelievable number of shooting stars zipping through the sky and the rock formations taking on a subtle blue glow in the moonlight. It is a very tough event but very achievable if the person has their head prepared for it. It stands to be an awe inspiring race with fantastic appeal for a range of abilities. There will be the elite runners who run the event from start to finish with very little rest who will be looking for a good time and placing but there will also be the walkers whose goal is to complete this epic challenge in the allotted time"

Tra gli iscritti figura già il britannico Colin Edwards (56 anni), amputato di una gamba.

Perchè una persona dovrebbe partecipare ad un evento come questo?
Why would a person enter an event like this?
Their can be many reasons why people would enter an event like this but a theme that seems to be fairly constant among entrants is how liberating it can be. Many people are consumed with pressures of modern living. Paying the mortgage, the bills , trying to develop their careers, buying the next must have product, having the perfect home to accommodate the perfect family etc. By totally removing a person from that environment and stripping away these interruptions they are given a simpler focus. A competitors emphasis is changed and made very basic and uncomplicated that human beings have been surviving with for tens of thousands of years. The race moves the entrants focus to food, Water, energy expenditure and shelter. They are briefly liberated and removed from the modern pressures society imposes on them and taken onto an adventure that people will rarely get to experience in a location few will get to go.

Luoghi
Location  
"The Ocean Floor Race" is so called due to the location being covered by the Tethys Ocean over 200 million years ago. Evidence of this is everywhere; ocean floor bedrock has been carved into fantastic shapes by the wind and sand over millions of years. The desert is a wonderland of over-sized mushrooms, kneeling camels, sitting ducks, dessert meringues and towering spires. Literally thousands of rock formations scatter the desert landscape making it an amazingly magical place to navigate through.
The race takes place in the Egyptian western desert which is part of the vast Sahara desert. The route for the race will focus through an area called the White Desert.
The white rock formations are a result of marine life dying and falling to the bottom of the ocean over millions of years resulting in calcium carbonate (chalk) being left behind from the marine life's skeletons. Over millions of years this rock is shaped to the formations you see today. These rock formations have been created within the last 125 million years.
There have been many discoveries in the western desert showing that ocean life once flourished. Fish skeletons, fossilised shells and 406 fossilized whale skeletons have been excavated in fantastic condition. All this in a location that would look like the last place marine life would ever exist.
Very little plant life survives here but early morning mists provide enough moisture for the occasional area of vegetation to appear.
The area of the desert that the race will start from is situated approximately 300 miles south west of Cairo and is an Egyptian national park, declared in 2007, soon to be protected by UNESCO due to its unique landscape which is found nowhere else on earth.

The Terrain
The terrain varies from a hard rock floor, soft sand and loose rock.

Temperature
May is the start of the warm period for the country which is between May and October and temperatures can get to approx 40 degrees Celsius or more by day and approx 15-20 degrees Celsius by night. 15 degrees at night will feel cold when you are tired, especially if you are not moving quickly, so you will need warm evening clothing.

Life in the desert
Life in the desert is obviously limited but it does exist. Along with birds and insects the most endearing animal that lives in the desert is the desert fox known as the Fennec. These tiny foxes with huge ears are the smallest species of canid in the world. They are generally not shy or scared of humans due to them having very little contact with us. They are inquisitive creatures and are happy to approach a person to investigate what you are up to. They are quite harmless and it is possible to see their eyes reflecting from your head torch during the evening hours.

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Iscrizione
To enter "The Ocean Floor Race" you must fill out the registration form which we will email you upon request. Then pay the deposit of £500. Once both this payment and form has been received your place in the race will be reserved.
No later than 30 days prior to the race the remaining balance of £1195 must be paid to secure the place.
You will also have to sign the terms and conditions that are attached with the registration form and agree to provide the organisers with an ECG reading and doctors certificate saying you are fit and healthy enough to participate in this race.

To Enter
1.Using the contact page please request a registration form which we will then email you.You must then complete it and return it by post.
2.Pay deposit of £500 (Details of how to pay can be found on the registration form)
3.Pay remaining balance of £1195 no later than one month prior to the race starting, (Total £1695)
4.Provide an ECG reading and doctors certificate stating you are healthy and fit enough to participate. We will require these 1 month before the race so that these documents are up to date.

Itinerary
The adventure starts in the Cairo Novotel airport lobby at 8.30am on Saturday 26th of May 2012 where you will report to the Ocean Floor Race team. This hotel is very close to Cairo airport and away from the busy main city. You are welcome to book into any other hotel you choose prior to this date but please make your way to this venue at this time to be collected by the Fat Feet team for the event departure
(Cairo Novotel airport web link http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-0502-novotel-cairo-airport/location.shtml)
Please also note that we do not recommend you arranging flights to arrive into Cairo on the morning of the 26th. If your flight is delayed for any reason and you do not get to the meeting point for the correct time we may depart without you due to our commitment to our other entrants and our race crew.

Saturday 26th of May 2012

• Depart from Novotel Cairo Airport (8.30am)
• Drive to Bahariya for lunch
• Continue to White Desert
• Set Up Camp
• Evening Meal

Sunday 27th May - Day of preparations

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Evening Meal

Monday 28th May - Race Starts (morning)

Thursday 31st May - Race finishes (morning)

• Evening meal
• Awards / Presentation

Friday 1st June

• Pack Up Camp (morning)
• Depart to Bahariya for Lunch
• Continue to Cairo
• Arrive at Novotel Cairo Airport (Afternoon). Once we arrive at the Novotel you are free to leave the organisers and continue with your plans. We estimate arriving late afternoon at Novotel Cairo Airport.

 
 
http://www.oceanfloorrace.com/