Returning 4 Deserts Champions and the world’s first fully-recovered spinal cord injury quadriplegic to compete in the Gobi March 2006, in an area that comprises some of the harshest terrain in China
May 4, 2006, Hong Kong, China - On May 28, the inaugural event for the 4 Deserts series in 2006 will kick off with the Gobi March. Charlie Engle of the United States, Kevin Lin of Taiwan and Ray Zahab of Canada, past champions in the Gobi March (China), Atacama Crossing (Chile) and Sahara Race (Egypt), respectively, will be competing as Team ChungHwa Telecom/MAGO. Terri Schneider, the women’s division winner of the Sahara Race 2005 (Egypt) is also expected in the lineup. There will be 19 countries represented this year, and the field also includes the world’s first fully-recovered quadriplegic, Patrick Rummerfield of the United States. At the age of 21, Patrick was severely injured in a near-fatal car crash and lost use of his legs and arms. Patrick, now 52, will attempt to complete all the events in the 4 Deserts series in 2006. Francesco Galanzino of Italy will also attempt this never-before accomplished feat.
The Gobi March 2006 will consist of six stages totaling 250 kilometers (155 miles) over seven days across the great Gobi Desert in northwest China. Competitors will be required to carry all their own food and gear that they will live on for the seven days on their backs; only a provision of water and a space in a tent will be provided each day. The Gobi is the world's largest cold winter desert, made up mostly of mountains, rocks, grasslands, salt flats and sand dunes. Archaeologists believe there are many cities yet to be unearthed in the Gobi.
The majority of the expected course will take place in the eastern part of Xinjiang, in the region of Hami, also the name of the popular melon grown in the region. Hami is the most eastern outpost on the famed Silk Road which has been a major thoroughfare for merchants and travelers for centuries. Today, Hami is a unique and colorful blend of Uygur, Kazak and Han Chinese cultures. Hami’s distinguishing feature is the Tian Shan mountains that weave east to west, creating high mountain ridges and low valleys, home to families that have lived in barely accessible villages for generations. The glacial melts in the spring create a series of rivers and streams that run through sections of the Gobi March 2006 course. This stunning landscape comprises some of the harshest terrain in the whole country of China; landscape that was dreaded by Silk Road traders as one of the most hazardous sections of the entire cross-Asia trip.
This year’s competitors range in age from 23 – 66 years of age with equal numbers coming from Asia, North America and Europe. There are several teams represented this year which include (in addition to Team ChungHwa Telecom/MAGO): Team Troys March of New Zealand, Team Singapore, Team Esquel of China, Team Two Jocks and The Canuck of Hong Kong and Team Three-Non-Beards of the UK. About 20% of this year’s field is female.
Brian J. Krabak, M.D. of the Johns Hopkins Institute will again direct the medical team which will include medical specialists from the United States and China including Carolyn Anderson, R.N. of the Virginia Mason Medical Center, Brandee L. Waite, M.D. of the University of California Davis, Jeff Peterson, M.D. of Stanford University, Bin Xu, M.D. and Daoyang Zhou, M.D. of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in China, and Paul Langer, DPM of the Minnesota Orthopaedic Specialists clinic. Dr. Krabak will be writing a daily journal for the event website.
The Coca Cola Company, Sensation Water (owned by The Coca Cola Company), Fortune and Bloomberg Television will be partners in the event. The Esquel Group has again provided local support. A television production of the event will be produced for networks around the world.
Live website coverage of the Gobi March 2006 will be broadcast from RacingThePlanet's website at www.racingtheplanet.com. The website will feature hundreds of pictures, breaking news texts, daily journals, video clips and field updates. Full results will also be posted daily.
This year’s Gobi March will support Room to Read, a charity that helps to build schools and libraries and provides funds for girls’ scholarships across Southeast Asia and Africa. More than US$150,000 has already been raised for Room to Read in 2006 through 4 Deserts competitors. Competitors in last year’s Gobi March raised more than US$250,000 for Action Outreach and Operation Smile charities which funded two missions in China, treating more than 300 children born with severe cleft lip and palate deformities.
In 2006, the entire 4 Deserts series will be staged and competitors from more than 30 countries are expected to compete in the four events. Many competitors are hoping to qualify for The Last Desert in Antarctica accomplishing something few can ever dream of completing.
About RacingThePlanet®
RacingThePlanet® is an international outdoor lifestyle brand and global leader in organizing some of the world's most prestigious outdoor events including the 4 DesertsTM, a series of 7-day footraces across the world's largest and most forbidding deserts. These events include the Gobi MarchTM in China, the Atacama CrossingTM in Chile, the Sahara RaceTM in Egypt and The Last DesertTM in Antarctica. With several ancillary business units including an online merchandise shop and a media content creator, RacingThePlanet® is headquartered in Hong Kong and has representative offices in the United States, China, Denmark, Egypt, Korea, Japan and Chile. For further information about RacingThePlanet, please visit the website at www.racingtheplanet.com.
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