THE RACE

The Simpson Desert Challenge was one of the toughest marathon races ever to be staged in Australia. It stretched from Alka Seltzer Bore on the western side of Australia's Simpson Desert to the Birdsville Hotel on the eastern side in Queensland, along the French Line through the mid-southern part of the ever-changing Simpson Desert.

There were four starters . . . and four who finished. The participants came from Hungary, Ireland and Australia and were aged between 37 and 62. They were assisted along the six-day, 390-kilometre track by 41 support crew and 13 vehicles.

In an attempt to avoid much of the scorching 45-50 degree daily temperatures, the four competitors started each day in the early hours around 4am. Battling heat, shifting sands on the hundreds of sand dunes, swarming flies and headwinds, the runners faced physical as well as their own individual, psychological challenges to overcome the pain associated with the race.

The stories resulting from this demanding activity include many pieces of human nature, as well as environmental, indigenous, geographic, transport (4-wheel vehicles) and historical issues.

For more information contact:
Race Organisers: Youth Sports Foundation