Stage 1 - 31.6 kms

Well what a experience to complete day 1 of toughest challenges of a lifetime. The day started with very cold conditions and a major sand storm prior to the start at 9am. With helicopters buzzing overhead and music blasting out all 801 competitors were ready to go. With the distance ahead and the 15kg back pack on my shoulders I have chosen to start conservatively and will be taking the first few days relatively easy so as to preserve my feet and go the distance. The course is really tough hitting with sand dunes only 1.5 km in to the day, these then lasting the next 14km. The sand dunes sure did make the journey more of a challenge and it was great to finally reach 1st check point feeling in good shape though suffering on the shoulders from the weight of the pack. I managed to soldier on through to the next check point on flat rocky ground prior to then heading through to the Day 1 Base Camp over another 5km of sand dunes to finish in 8hrs. Tired and sore shoulders with chafing. Bring on Day 2 in the Sahara!

Stage 1

Hello Sahara Desert

Well the day has finally arrived and today all competitors in the Marathon de Sables 2008 will be shipped out across the Sahara Desert to set up base camp, select tent mates and finalise all last minute details prior to the Official Registration process commencing on Saturday morning and the start at 9am Sunday.

Following preliminary reports that heat conditions will be more oppressive than ever this year, I have now made the final decision not to take the risk and subject the Marathon Man suit to the intense heat of the desert and will rather organise a special limited appearance during the Registration process on Saturday to brighten up the day!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the tremendous support and look forward to carrying the Aussie flag with pride across the Sahara over the next week or so ...

Looking forward to receiving your valuable messages of support to keep me going and will be sure to update the blog when possible from the desert!

Hello Ouarzazate Morocco

Today I left Marrakech at 11.30am and shared a private bus ride with some fellow Aussie Marathon des Sables competitors in Markus, Uri, Stephen and Becky. While a six hour journey across Morocco may seem a little long with the scenery before us this soon went quite quickly. It was really amazing seeing the wider Moroccan landscape where along the way the locals were selling unique artifacts to the area including some little children that were seemingly looking to sell something that looked like herbs or grass ... There were areas rich in minerals and sweeping roads that were at times quite dangerous with large buses speeding through and often not taking any notice of where the middle of the road may have been. We made a stop along the way for a authentic Moroccan vegetarian meal which was not too bad at all. It is real important to stay healthy at the moment being so close to the start line! As we fianlly approached Ouarzazte it was a little like a scene out of the movie "Total Recall" or perhaps like seeing scenery from Mars. The richness of the desert was clearly calling and I must admit to feeling some butterflys in the stomach. The only similar feeling I can relate this to would be going away on rugby tour for a massive game with the Marathon des Sables set to be my personal Grand Final now only a matter of days away ...

Hello Marrakech Morocco

The arrival into Marrakech certainly was unique and a litte eventful. With the intention of taking out local currency at the airport it seemed as though the only two cash ATMs in the airport were not working. After jumping on the airport bus and explaining the situation the driver kindly offered to drop me at the nearest ATM in Marrakech. On arriving at lbanque I abandoned the bus and my four bags to run across the road and paid particular note to the last two digits of the bus number plate just to be safe. Number 26! After realising that the money was not dispensing fro, the machine I returned to find the bus with the lqst two digits of the number plate 26 was driving away so of course I gave chase down the middle of the road with the local policeman blowing his whistle furiously to stop the bus. When I reached the bus I noticed that there was no one on board and this was not infact my bus. I then quickly spotted that indeed all the bus nuber plates ended in 26 ... I finally found my driver and managed to secure the remainder of teh journey for 95p. Phew, a very nice little introduction to Morocco!

The history of Marrakech certainly is rich with the highlight clearly being the major tourist attraction of the Marrakech Markets in the Old Town. The next few days would be really important to stay healthy with little time to be a real tourist. I did manage to meet up with Markus, Becky and Stephen all fellow Aussie MdS adventure seekers for a tour of the Markets and pizza to catch a great sunset ...

Final Minute London Preparations

The time in London was extremely busy running around town taking care of final minute essential kit requirements for my adventure through the Sahara. There were essential items such as food, safety blanket, whistle, cooking equipment, walking poles, sandals and compression clothing to take care of that had me traveling across London from Heathrow to Brent Crossing to Picadilly Cirus, Oxford Street and out past Canary Wharf.

The travels were made a little more challenging with the temperatures dropping to new lows and the snow falling! I thought this was extremely funny considering where I will be in a few days time in temperatures of 50 degrees or more. Surely somewhere in between could be organised! Oh well, perhaps this will have to be saved up for the well deserved recovery period to follow later ...

ABC Breakfast Radio

Live from London! The Marathon Man will be appearing on the ABC Radio Breakfast Show hosted by Julian Morrow to a nation audience around 7.30am. Be sure to tune in to find out the very latest ...

Bonjour Paris & Hello London

The morning in Tokyo Airport provided the perfect opportunity to freshen up with a shower at the Japan Airlines lounge. The JAL flight to Paris was initially delayed and the flight was proved to be extremely quiet for me as I needed to catch up on a little sleep after the long night in Tokyo and the big day of travel.

With around a hour and half prior to landing I thought it was time for the Marathon Man to make a special appearance on the JAL flight. Well, lets just say this was the perfect move as the fellow passengers and flight crew really appreciated the effort and the Marathon Man put a smile on peoples faces at the end of what was a long journey to France.

On arrival into Charles de Gaulle Airport I was met with some interested onlookers and the airline crew at check in thought it was a great laugh! I even made my way in to the British Airways Members Only Lounge for the short stop over before boadring the Britsh Airways flight to London.

The BA flight to London certainly was a highlight with the flight crew making me feel very welcome and the Captain allowing me to sit in the cockpit and then proceeding to welcome passengers and "super heros" on board the flight! It was even fortunate enough to be upgraded to Business Class with a window seat and my very own row ... It really was a privielge and one that was extremely appreciated.

On arrival into London, after the initial shock with the freezing cold conditions I was met with some dubious looks at customs as the fellow passengers enjoyed a great laugh. The Customs Lady was required to provide further details as to the reason that this character was entering British Sovereign Territory not dressed in a conservative manner as is accustomed. Following presentation of the Marathon Man business card and assurances that this was a very special occassion I was granted entry into the UK.

I then headed towards the tube bound for the traditional home away from home for many Aussies in London at Earls Court where I met up with Gus and his flatmate James. We all jumped in a London black taxi and made our way to the hotel close to Pimlico tube station. After settling in and then catching up with the lads it was time for a quick bite and then a very well deserved nights sleep ...

The Adventure Begins ...

Today marks the commencement of a very large travel schedule for the Marathon Man ahead over the next few months. Starting out in Sydney at 6.30am and then to Brisbane and Cairns prior to staying overnight in Tokyo, Japan.

The Marathon Man thought it was appropriate to make a special appearance in Tokyo. Little did he realise just how cold it would be in the centre of Tokyo would be overnight with temperatures hovering around zero! This would prove to be a good introduction to the cold weather to come in London and ensure future plans were put in place to keep warm on the cold nights ahead in the Sahara.

The Shinjuku district of tokyo was extremely interesting with the locals fascinated by the Marathon Man! There were some fun times in making my way across the city by train with few people able to speak English to provide assistance. Those that could speak English were extremely helpful with one gentlemen even escorting me to my luggage and then to the checkin counter for my flight on to Paris the next morning. Although only spending a short few hours overnight in Tokyo this really was a night to remember. Freezing cold though fun!

Contact Marathon Man In the Sahara!

Calling all friends, family and sponsors of the Marathon Man ...

It will be possible to leave daily messages of support during the MARATHON DES SABLES, but only from 29th March to 4th April 2008. The link will be provided on the Marathon Man home page to follow through to the official race organisers site and then follow the instructions.

http://www.darbaroud.com
section "écrire aux concurrents/write to competitors"

Only messages with the following details included will be transferred:

Surname: MORROW
First Name: TRENT
Race ID Number: 888

Please do not send attachments such as photos as this will cancel the message. Messages will be passed on to competitors on the bivouac every day. After 4th April, this email service will no longer be operational.

Thank you so much for all your support. I am really going to be looking forward to checking in with your messages at the end of each day and doing you proud through the Sahara desert ...

Marathon Man Gala Event Photos

Following a incredible evening on Thursday night, I would like to pay a special mention to the two gentlemen who captured every moment on film to be remembered. Cameron Fong and Julian Seeto were the ultimate professionals ensuring that every angle was captured. I am sure you will be impressed with the qaulity images. In particular, those participants under hypnosis on the night may be excited to see exactly what they actually got up to ...

Pictures from the Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising night can be found within the "Photo Album" section of the Marathon Man website. These images are low resolution, though should you be interested in obtaining specific photos please feel free to contact either Cameron Fong or Julian Seeto direct to arrange for a high resolution image to sent to you. When requesting images, please include the file name in your email.

Cameron K. Fong - cameron.fong@gmail.com Julian Seeto - seeto.centric@gmail.com

Thank you so much guys!!!

Marathon Man International Travels

The Marathon Man adventures will take in many sights across the world. The following provides a brief outline of the international travel plans ahead:

March
Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Tokyo, Paris, London, Marrakech, Ouarzazarte, Sahara Desert

April
Sahara Desert, Ouarzazarte, Marrakech, Tangiers, Algasiers, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York

May
New York, London, New York, Hawaii, Sydney

I look forward to returning home on Sunday May 18th to continue the Marathon Man journey on home soil.

Marathon Man Gala Event

WOW! What a Night ... The Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising Event really has been a great success! The night was full on fun and great times with some incredible people there to enjoy the occassion.

There have now been calls for a second Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising Event to be staged following the adventure through the Sahara so if there is the demand there and there are some people willing to lend a hand to set this up then maybe just maybe! Never say never ...

Thank you to everyone that turned up to show support on the evening. I am especially grateful for those that booked tables of ten and participated in the many auctions throughout the night. It would be great to get your feedback on the night!

I would like to pay special thanks to Sam Powers Australia's leading illusionist, Kieran for the great tunes, Jill Tate the best Bellydancer in the business, Bill Wheeler Australia's leading hypnotist, Jason Chong the Master of Ceremonies, Joel from the Helping Hand Group and Cameron Fong & Julian Seeto for the awesome photographs.

Channel 10 Marathon Man News

Today the Marathon Man message really made headlines. Following meeting up with the new Lois Lane in the amazing Ten News reporter Amber Muir and the super Ten News Crew of Steve on Camera and Dean on Sound down at the Sydney Opera House there were some really fun moments spent over the next four hours of shooting some great footage for the national 5pm News and the Late Night News.

There were some special moments that simply could not be scripted today such as the appearance of Brad Blaze in a Superman T-Shirt, the girls training in the park and the school kids that really loved the Marathon Man!

Special thanks much go to Megan and Narelle from Bang PR for bringing this all together and to Amber Muir and Network Ten for supporting the story and highlighting the Marathon Man's upcoming journey through the Sahara in aid of the Facing Africa charity.

Very Large Friday!

Well it sure was a action packed day today with a real early start at the Stadium Fitness Centre to meet up with my fellow spin class buddies before running into the CBD starting out at Central Station and catching the train to Town Hall Station. I then proceeded to take up the prime position and hand out "Marathon Man Gala Charity Fundraising Event" invites to the morning rail commuters. There was no shortage of looks and comments passed the way of the Marathon Man this Friday morning. It was great to be joined by school girls raising funds for another charity close to my heart in the Red Cross at Town Hall. Following close to two hours in Town Hall Station I made my way up to Pitt Street Mall and met up with the MX Newspaper photographer Chris, where we then headed towards Martin Place for a photo shoot with the morning CBD business traffic. This is set to go to print in the Sydney CBD Complementary newspaper on Tuesday 11th March. In the afternoon, I had the great opportunity to be interviewed by one of my all time favourite radio personalities in John Stanley appearing on the Radio 2UE Drive programme! During the evening, I avoided the incredible Sydney downpour out at the NSW Waratahs and ACT Brumbies Super 14 match at the Sydney Football Stadium and had the incredible privilege and honour to appear live on the Fox Sports News & Views programme with Nick McArdle and Adam Peacock. This really was lots of fun and made so much easier with Nick and Adam being such professionals and great guys to boot! All up Friday 7th March will go down as a day to remember and one that I will treasure for a very long time. Thank you so much to everyone that helped to make this such a special day ...

Bondi Beach Training

After due consideration I thought that it was time for the Marathon Man to make a special appearance in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney today. In the early afternoon I ran from Bronte down to Bondi Beach making special appearances along the way at Mr. Men's barbers on Bondi Road and Fastgear Triathalon store on Bondi Beach. I dropped by the Surf Lifesavers Lookout on Bondi Beach to be greeted by the Channel Ten "Bondi Rescue" cameras and ended up spending close to half an hour being interviewed with the lads. The journey continued with me making my way along the Bondi Beach promenade through the streets of my home beach prior to calling it a day and making my way home. This was a awesome training run and also a great test to see how the Marathon Man would be received in Bondi Beach! This may be the start of a few more special appearances for the Marathon Man ...

Marathon Man on Fox Sports News & Views

It has been confirmed today that I will have the opportunity to appear on this Friday's Fox Sports News & Views programme at around 9.30pm. For all those rugby fans home watching the NSW Waratahs destroy the ACT Brumbies switch over to Channel 513 to find out the latest ... The Marathon Man on Fox Sports News & Views! Now I would like to see that

Marathon des Sables Countdown!

Well today marks the 4 week countdown until the start of the 2008 Marathon des Sables race start across the Sahara Desert on Sunday 30th March. There are now only 16 days before I leave Australia on Tuesday 18th March and commence the journey towards the start line for what will be a life defining moment.

There is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson that I carry with me every day that defines Success:

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier, because you have lived, this is to have succeeded."

Something to think about ...

2008 Marathon - Toughest Ever!

The Marathon des Sables organisers have published the following information detailing that the 2008 event will be the most extreme and toughest race ever held over the 23 years:

The route for 2008 is 245.3 Km long, making it the longest ever in the history of the MARATHON DES SABLES. The race will be challenging from day one - and continue that way - offering all the variety of the Sahara. The course will take runners over ergs (dune zones), seriously steep jebels (up to 25% slope factor) and rocky plateaus. They’ll have to cross hard as iron salt-flats and the driest of wadis. The backdrop to all of this is the most beautiful of landscapes with vistas accessible only to those on foot. The desert has its secret gardens and competitors on MDS will be lucky enough In its 22-year history since it was set up in 1986, the Marathon des Sables has brought together near-on 10,000 competitors in the south Moroccan Sahara. Whether running individually or in teams, competitors are self-sufficient in food and must carry all their own equipment (food and compulsory kit) during the entire race. Marathon runners and trail runners worldwide consider the race to be the “Grail” of footraces. It’s one of the most difficult in the world: around 230km, freestyle, run in 6 stages varying from 20 to 70km, taking in all the different terrain in this particularly beautiful part of Morocco. With average speeds going from a minimum of 3 Km/h to maximum 14 Km/h, the Marathon des Sables is an extraordinary course, characterised by its spirit of conviviality and solidarity. For this 23rd edition, organised by AOI under the aegis of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, around 850 competitors will be setting off to conquer the Moroccan sands on March 30th. 30% are French, the other 70% made up of more than 32 nationalities, with a strong Anglo-Saxon presence Sportsmanship, solidarity, conviviality and respect for the environment: these are the organisation’s key words. 1986, the 1st MARATHON DES SABLES welcomes 23 competitors 2008, 850 competitors are expected!

Marathon Man National Audience

I was extremely privileged to have been the final guest on the 2008 ABC Radio 'Summer Grandstand' programme this afternoon with the very talented Tracey Holmes and co-host Damian Lovelock the former lead singer and songwriter for the Sydney hard rock band The Celibate Rifles ...

This really was great fun for the Marathon Man to make a special in-studio appearance and speak to a national audience about the madness of the challenge ahead through the Sahara and the crucial work Facing Africa is doing to help those suffering from the disease of poverty known as noma.

It must have been a quiet afternoon of sport with the "Great Balls of Fire" movie staring Dennis Quaid on the Ovation channel in the studio. Clearly one of Damien's favourite all time movies.