4 Deserts

Competitors overcome endless seas of sand, sandstorms and heat to complete 250-kilometer stage race across the mighty Sahara Desert of Egypt

(15 November 2006, Hong Kong) -- On 4 November 2006, Jimmi Olsen of Denmark became the first Dane to win a 4 Deserts event taking first place in a highly-contested race among a field of competitors from 17 countries around the world.    The Sahara Race (Egypt) 2006 was the eight 4 Deserts event, and the last qualifying event before The Last Desert in Antarctica, the final event of series for 2006.

The overall winner, Jimmi Olsen, completed the six-stages in a total of 26:55:04. The women's division winner was Claire L. M. Price of the United Kingdom who finished in a total time of 32:00:58. The second place men's winner was Francesco Galanzino from Italy who completed the race in 27:01:57, just five minutes behind the leader.  Byeung Sik Ahn from the Korea finished third in a time of 30:44:44. The second place women's winner was Sandra K. McCallum from Canada and in third place was Victoria J. Taylor of the United Kingdom.

The Sahara Race, which began in the White Desert, took competitors on a journey through one of the most spectacular parts of the Sahara Desert, crossing endless seas of sand, giant sand dunes and remote oases by the ancient El Ris Village before finishing just in front of the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx with drummers and trumpeters playing an aria from Aida as background music.

Mary K. Gadams, the founder of the 4 Deserts series, remarked "This year's course was surreal in its beauty with the best of the Sahara Desert presented to competitors.   You couldn't leave the event without having felt that you truly experienced the mighty Sahara and the feeling of its endless beauty."

By completing the Sahara Race, several more competitors qualified for The Last Desert in Antarctica scheduled to take place in late January 2007.  Competitors who make it to the finish line of The Last Desert will be awarded the 4 Deserts medal.   One individual will be crowned the 4 Deserts champion.

The Sahara Race (Egypt ) 2006 will be featured on NBC Sports "Jeep World of Adventure Sports" on December 9. The Sahara Race will also be shown on MBC, a leading television channel in Korea, on December 8.

Fortune Magazine  and Bloomberg Television were the official media partners of the Sahara Race ( Egypt) 2006.  The Pepsi-Cola Company of Egypt provided AquaFina mineral water for all competitors and staff during the seven-day event.

The M�venpick Hotels and Resorts was the official hotel where competitors spent one night before and after the event.

RacingThePlanet Limited is an international outdoor lifestyle brand and global leader in organizing some of the world's most prestigious outdoor events including the 4 Deserts, a series of 7-day footraces across the world's largest and most forbidding deserts. These events include the Gobi March in China, the Atacama Crossing in Chile, the Sahara Race in Egypt and The Last Desert in Antarctica. These locations represent the driest, hottest, coldest and windiest places on Earth. The 4 Deserts attracts individuals from all backgrounds and from all walks of life, the majority being professionals including bankers, lawyers, airline pilots and medical doctors. The 4 Deserts is one of the world’s most prestigious outdoor events. With several ancillary business units including an online merchandise shop, a television and film production unit and an online portal, RacingThePlanet Limited is headquartered in Hong Kong. For further information about RacingThePlanet, please visit the website at www.racingtheplanet.com.

For further information about the Sahara Race in Egypt, please contact RacingThePlanet at info@racingtheplanet.com or visit the website at www.racingtheplanet.com.