Day 2 of the 2009 MDS and 2010 MDS!

I have been waiting and waiting for all the results to show on the race web site but several runners results are still not up. We wait and wait..but I am going to bed!

Today was more sand dunes and lots of rocks..the Dreamchasers are doing very well.
Meghan Hicks is the 3rd women overall...yeah for her!! This is a great start,

The long day which is 50 miles will start on Wed. morning. The runners have 2 days to complete the 50 miles. This is the stage that will make or break the race..and in my eyes this is where the race is won. If our men's Dreamchaser team is going to move up in the rankings they are all going to need to run a very hard fast 50 miles. You know what? They can do it!
Today Mike, Ted and Byron all ran very well and I know they were holding back and running the top guys down from the back! We should all be thinking about and praying for all the runners on Wed. for a very successful long day.
Jay Batchen is doing awesome..is is the 4th American behind the team Dreamchasers.

Some others that I would like to mention today is our Colleen Woods and Alisha Strobel who are from the Tetons are moving great.

We are thinking about you all today and everyone..Go Connie, Steve, George, Tess, Jane, Elizabeth, Terry, Mike, Bill and all of you! You inspire us all to do and be better. Thank you!

I have gotten over 40 emails in the past 2 days about the 2010 as well as the 2011 MDS race.
The 2010 race is sold out and we have a long waiting list. This does not mean it is impossible to get in it just means you are on a waiting list. If you would like to get on the list for either years please email me at lisa@dreamchaserevents.com



FROM THE RACE WEB SITE: Today March 31st, 2009

2nd stage Men ranking

Aziz El Akad (3-Morocco) : 2h41m17s
Salameh Al Aqrah (357-Jord) 2h45m48s
Lahcen Ahansal (1-Morocco) : 2h49m17s
Mohamad Ahansal (2-Morocco) : 2h50m30
5.Michael Wardian (870-USA) 2h52m36s (IN 7th OVERALL, 22 MIN BACK)

2nd stage Women ranking
. Touda Didi (265- Morocco) : 3h54min9s

General ranking stage 2Men

Aziz El Akad (3-Morocco) : 5h15m54s
Salameh Al Aqrah (357-Jord) : 7m21s (time difference with top runner)
Mohamad Ahansal (2-Morocco) : 8m41s (time difference with top runner)
Lahcen Ahansal (1-Morocco) : 8m44s (time difference with top runner)

A surprising stage today, done with at infernal speed. Dunes, stones and wind were excepted, but coldness and wind have been the last stage's guests. Lead by the Jordanian Salameh Al Aqrah and the Moroccan Aziz El Akad's paces - second and third rankings respectively last year, the race was really testing for the stretched bunch of runners at the foot of the spectacular Jebel El Begra. An amazing duel, worthy of the best Western movies.

Up to the second check point, the two leaders were on each other's heels, cooling down their rivals' enthousiasm. Thanks to an impressive final sprint, the Moroccan Aziz El Akad left his challenger way behind, seizing the 1st place of the general ranking. He seemed really confident at the finishing line regarding his 1st place this year, ? private proptery ? of the Ahansal family for 13 years. Despite his tough end of stage, the Jordanian shares exactly the same ambitions and expects a lot about tomorrow's heat. 7 minutes behind the leader in the general ranking is actually not an insuperable obstacle...
Exhausting race for the Ahansal' brothers : Mohamad suffered of digestive confusions, obliging his body to have a short break during this stage. His brother Lahcen was weak as well on the finishing line, apparently destabilized by the other competitors' ardour. Totalising more than 8 minutes difference with the top leader, this is an unforeseen situation for them. Temporarily lapse of end of kingdom ? Anwser tomorrow during the longest and mythical stage...

The Moroccan Touda Didi keeps shining in this competition, reaching the finishing line on the 1st position. Unless something drastic happens, she should keep the lead all through the week with a well deserved title.



DREAM CHASERS TEAM (numbers 868 - 870 / USA)

INTERVIEW WITH THE TEAM’S CREATOR, GERALD BATCHEN

The three musketeers of the American team “Dream Chasers”, Theodore Archer (32 years old), Brion Powell (30 years old) and Michael Wardian (34 years old) were brought together by Gerald Batchen, 39 years old, who is also participating in the race as a solo competitor under number 788. Michael Wardian, trained by Lisa, Gerald’s wife, who won the women’s MDS in 1999, is clear about his goal: to win the MDS this year and thus overthrow the near reign established by the Ahansal brothers for a good decade...His tactic: to use the flat stretches to back up his strong point, speed, and to slow down on the uphill stretches, which he has practiced less in training and, above all, not make any concessions to the Ahansal brothers, not to let himself fall behind...As for Theodore Archer, he finished in 16th place last year and hopes to optimise his results after 6 months of intensive training.This is a baptism of fire for Brion Powell: his first MDS, where he plans to implement a strategy of sustained effort, but has no specific goal in terms of placing.
Gerald Batchen confirms: “For this edition of the event, I have brought together a high level team of sportsmen who are developing fast and we have the ability to get on the podium.” In this first dunes stage, which is, in fact, his “weak” point, Michael finished in 8th place, in 2h 45' 59''. A good start. One to watch, then...Gentlemen, you have been warned!