RacingThePlanet
[2] The 2011 Kimberley Ultramarathon was the subject of a parliamentary inquiry in Western Australia after a number of competitors suffered life-threatening burns when a bushfire overran a part of the route.
[6] In 2009 RacingThePlanet launched an online retail store specializing in selling the outdoor apparel, equipment and nutritional products required for endurance racing.
[8] In 2010 a record nine competitors completed the 4 Deserts Grand Slam, including three women who are the first to have achieved the feat - Samantha Gash of Australia, Lucy Rivers-Bulkeley and Linda Quirk.
[12] On September 2, 2011, at the 100 km event in the Kimberly, Western Australia, Turia Pitt, 24, and Kate Sanderson, 35, were left with severe burn injuries when fire swept through a rocky gorge during the outback race.
RacingThePlanet has not compensated the victims or contributed to their medical treatment, including to Ms Pitt whose expenses exceed $2 million.
[14] Originally launched in English, in 2011 the Outdoor Store expanded capability to include Traditional and Simplified Chinese, as well as French, Spanish and Italian.
[18] In 2015, The Sahara Race is temporarily relocated to Jordan from Egypt and at the first-ever female Afghan ultramarathon team to join the Gobi March.
[30] There are 16 country managers who represent the company in Belgium, Brazil, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa, Taiwan and Spain.
The company has a long-running partnership with Operation Smile,[33] and has raised over US$500,000 for the charity for projects in Vietnam, China and Egypt, often funding missions and surgeries in the local communities through which competitors race.
[34][35][36][37][38] The company has donated books and sports equipments to schools in Xinjiang province where the Gobi March is held through the Esquel Y. L. Yang Education Fund who they have also supported for a number of years.
A campsite is raised each night for competitors where they are provided with a place in a tent to sleep, access to hot water, a campfire, medical assistance and the "CyberTent" where they can view and send messages to family and friends and update their race blog.
[48] The second race was in southern Namibia starting on the edge of the Fish River Canyon and ending in the town of Luderitz along the Skeleton Coast.
This was the third year for the roving race to take place in Western Australia, in the Kimberley region between Kununurra, the Gibb River Road, Emma Gorge and El Questro Wilderness Park.
Late flooding had meant that certain parts of the course had to be changed and the Gibb River Road was unpassable for certain stretches, again adding to the logistical challenges.
The week before the race the Icelandic volcano eruptions ruined the travel plans of many European competitors, with a number unable to fly to Australia.
[51] Statistics Date: April 2010 Men's winner - Salvador Calvo Redondo, Spain, 31 hours 25 mins 00 secs Women's winner - Lia Farley, United States, 32 hours, 34 mins 18 secs (3rd overall) 185 competitors began the event, 117 competitors finished, and 35 countries were represented.
Competitors Kate Sanderson, Turia Pitt, Michael Hull and Shaun van der Merwe were burnt when they encountered a large wildfire.
[54] However, the inquiry found that the company was aware there had been fires in and around the course on the day of the race and should have recognized the risk posed to competitors, staff and volunteers.
"[55][56][57] In addition it found "the company did not adequately consult with relevant authorities such as St John Ambulance, and did not make arrangements for the use of a helicopter.
[59] The course began at Mardi Kholas and wound its way through the foothills of the Himalayas through Beni, Poon Hill, Birethanti and Begnas Lake.
Statistics Date: November 2011 Men's winner - Ryan Sandes, South Africa, 25 hours 15 mins 25 secs Women's winner - Stephanie Case, Canada, 30 hours, 15 mins 09 secs (8th overall) 220 competitors began the event, 168 competitors finished, and 38 countries were represented.
[60] The Roving Race moved to Jordan in 2012, taking in the areas of Wadi Rum and finishing in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra.
[62] The Roving Race moved to Iceland in 2013, taking in different parts of the country in the highlands of Kerlingjarfjoll and finishing by the mineral rich waters of the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavík.
[63] Statistics Date: 2013 Men's Winner - Mo Foustok, Saudi Arabia, 23 hours 04 minutes 08 seconds Women's Winner, Lia Farley, United States 27 hours we[clarification needed] minutes 26 seconds (8th overall) 270 competitors began the event, 228 finished, and 43 countries represented The Roving Race moved to Madagascar in 2014, taking in different parts of the country in the northern tip of the island.
[64] Statistics Date: September 2014 Men's winner – Ryan Sandes, South Africa, 22 hours 46 mins 42 secs Women's winner – Maki Izuchi Suban, Japan, 32 hours, 35 mins 38 secs (15th overall) 235 competitors began the event, 189 competitors finished, and 43 countries were represented.
Racers started in the foothills of the Cotopaxi volcano, passed through rugged highlands, bedded down in Alpine meadows, forded mountain streams on the ancient Inca trail, descending into a tropical cloud forest and met some of the locals along the way.
[67] Racers began in the central highlands near Kandy, all the way to the coast of the Indian Ocean, passing through Yala National Park.
[69] Statistics Date: November 2017 Men's winner – Neill Weir, United Kingdom 20 hours 59 mins 23 secs Women's winner – Sarah Sawyer, United Kingdom, 27 hours, 10 mins 24 secs (23rd overall) 286 competitors began the event, 273 competitors finished, and 39 countries were represented.
