When people look at any desert ultramarathon, they often focus on the distance. I don’t, I focus on everything that happens before the start line.
After 1,249 marathons, including many editions of the Marathon des Sables, one thing has become very clear to me: success in the desert is rarely down to fitness alone. It’s mainly down to planning and preparation.
You can be the fittest runner on the start line, but if your feet are wrecked, your backpack doesn’t fit, and your nutrition is wrong, the desert will expose your every weakness.
That’s why, through The Rory Coleman Method, I encourage people to prepare for the event bearing in mind what’s needed to complete the distance.
If you have to carry a backpack, train with one. If it’s going to be sandy, train in the dunes. And get acclimated if you are going to super-hot. As for the food, try it out and test, test, test – you might love the food in the UK but get to hate it eating it day-after-day.
It sounds obvious, but you would be amazed how many people leave these things until it’ too late.
The desert is not the place to experiment. Nothing should come as a surprise - the desert rewards patience. Too many people arrive excited, well-trained and full of adrenaline, then blow their race in the first few hours.
The smart person considers the whole event. They hold back. They protect their feet. They eat early. They drink consistently and they keep their emotions under control.
This isn’t weakness. It’s called experience.
Proper planning will give you confidence if things start to go wrong because at some point, they probably will. You may feel sick. You may get blisters. You may question why you entered in the first place.
Preparation gives you answers. You’ll know what to eat. You’ll know how far the next checkpoint is. You’ll know what to do with your feet. You’ll also know that bad patches pass. This level of confidence is incredibly powerful. I’ve always believed that endurance success is built through hundreds of small decisions rather than one massive, heroic act.
Train consistently. Choose kit carefully and practise your nutrition. Respect the conditions, control your pace and prepare your mind. None of these things alone will guarantee success, but together they’ll dramatically improve your chances of success.
That’s what The Rory Coleman Method is all about. Not chasing perfection. Not looking for shortcuts. But becoming better prepared, better informed and more capable every day.
Be consistent, and when you stand on the start line in the desert, you won’t be hoping you’re ready. You’ll know you are.
Raise your Average.