between hell and paradise, an extreme race in the middle of the Sahara desert

As the sun rises, runners prepare for a long day of running in the Sahara Desert, Chad. During the day, the heat can exceed 40 degrees. Christine, the oldest, is one of the slowest competitors and therefore needs to provide more water and food. “I’m at a glance at eight or nine kilos, which is too much, I know. But hey, it’s my comfort, (…) it reassures me“, she says. The stage of the day has 38 km on a rugged course.

From the start, Corentin, one of the least experienced in the group, took the lead. On the second day, the organisms are already put to the test but will have to face the crossing of the labyrinth of Oyo, a unique rock structure dug by water and the wind 420 million years ago.

Corentin finishes the second stage alone. Here, his Parisian law firm seems far away. “We just focus on the present moment, whereas in Paris, it’s the meeting the next day, the call in three hours. It’s the only moment when I feel like time stops” , confides the latter. After regaining strength, some runners treat themselves to a tourist break and discover cave paintings in a rocky massif. They tell of life in the past, on the Ennedi plateau. A touch of culture, in the midst of unique natural landscapes.