Posted: September 12, 2007

Endurance Sports: New Zealander wins 4 Deserts event

In the tenth 4 Deserts event, a New Zealander captured the overall championship in an event which has become known as the toughest of the 4 Deserts, and for the fourth consecutive time a Briton has captured the women's title (12 September 2007) – For the first time in a 4 Deserts event a New Zealander crossed the finish line in first place with Robert F. Jarvis completing the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2007 in a time of 35:12:09. Robert almost lost the lead during the 80 kilometer stage but was able to recover in time to still claim the overall victory. Placing second was Jonathan V.E. Bailey of the United Kingdom in a time of 35:28:13 followed by Oliver J. Sinclair also of the United Kingdom in a time of 36:15:55. Once again the margin of victory was small with only 16 minutes separating first and second place. In the women's division, Dr. Emma Dawber placed first followed by Italian Lori Corti and Australian Sally A. Sanigar. Dr. Dawber became the fourth British woman in a row to capture the women's title in a 4 Deserts event. The Atacama Crossing (Chile ) 2007 took place in the Atacama Desert in an area with dozens of ancient rock carvings, along the old Calama Road and in the foothills of the Andes mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest place on Earth and the entire course was held at an altitude of at least one mile high. Through portions of the course competitors were in the shadow of an active volcano called Lascar while racing through the renowned slot canyons and the infamous Salar de Atacama. In what has become a tradition, the Atacama Crossing concluded in the Town Square of San Pedro de Atacama in front of the historic church which was originally built in 1641. Competitors representing 16 countries competed in this year's Atacama Crossing. Fifty-six competitors completed the entire course -- Max Metcalfe of the United States, aged 18, the youngest competitor, and Toshio Ohmori of Japan , aged 67, the oldest competitor, both successfully completed the course. Commenting on the event, Mary K. Gadams, the founder of the 4 Deserts, said "This Atacama Crossing had special meaning to us in that it was the tenth 4 Deserts event to be staged. It is incredible how the 4 Deserts has evolved and more remarkable is the high caliber of individuals attracted to the events from the competitors to the staff and volunteers. The 4 Deserts has become the Tour de France of running." Next on the 4 Deserts calendar is the Sahara Race (Egypt ) 2007 which will take place beginning 28 October followed by The Last Desert ( Antarctica ) 2007 which will begin on 21 November. Competitors must qualify to compete in The Last Desert which requires that they have successfully completed the other '3 deserts' first to be considered for an invitation. Website coverage of the Atacama Crossing (Chile) 2007 can be found at www.4deserts.com featuring hundreds of pictures, breaking news texts, daily journals, video clips, field updates and full results. About RacingThePlanet Limited 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, medical doctors and military persons. 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. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest