There was good news from the Gobi Desert this weekend as ultrarunner Ray Zahab has successfully completed Expedition Gobi, his 2300 km (1430 mile) crossing of the desert on foot. It took him 34 days to complete the journey, averaging nearly 68 km (42 miles) per day during that time.

As with any expedition of this nature, the run included a number of major challenges. For instance, when he first set out, Ray was running with Kevin Lin, a fellow ultrarunner from Taiwan. Kevin was hampered by injuries however and eventually had to abandon his attempt at crossing the Gobi. That forced Ray to carry on by himself, which required a great deal of mental toughness. Covering all of those miles on a daily basis is tough enough, but to do it mostly by yourself is even more difficult.

The terrain in the Gobi certainly lived up to its billing, particularly near the end. Ray ran through all kinds of varying conditions along the way, but his final days were often spent running up and down massive sand dunes. Those conditions made it tough going in those last few days, but with a little help from some local military officials, Ray and his support team were able to find a faster and more efficient route to get them through the final leg.

The team is now en route back to Ulaanbataar, a journey that will take three days to complete in a 4x4 vehicle. That alone should tell you how remote the Gobi is and how difficult the conditions there are. Despite all of those miles and challenging environments, our intrepid runner managed to complete the expedition without a single blister, which is an impressive accomplishment on its own.

Ray can now add the Gobi to his growing list of deserts that he has run across. Previously the Canadian adventurer has also run across the Sahara and Atacama Deserts, as well traveled to the South Pole and across Death Valley on foot. Not bad for a guy who use to smoke a pack of cigarettes per day.

Congrats Ray! Well done once again!

Ray Zahab has been in the Gobi Desert for a month now as he continues his attempt to run through that massive and demanding environment. When he's done, he hopes to have covered 2300 km (1430 miles) in approximately 35 total days, averaging roughly 70 km (43.5 miles) per day. Along the way, he has been interacting with the locals that inhabit the Gobi and learning about the effects of desertification on their lives and homeland. As is typical with one of Ray's expedition's, he is also sharing those insights and experiences with classrooms around the globe.

Yesterday was a rest day for Ray and his support team as they prepare for their final leg of this journey. With just 320 km (198 miles) left to run, the toughest challenges may still lay ahead. The route will now take our intrepid ultrarunner into one of the most desolate and difficult regions of the Gobi yet. A region that is seldom visited and largely unexplored. So much so, that Ray says that the team will share their video with the Mongolian government to help them understand the environment he'll be running through much better.

As he enters the stretch run, Ray is planning on reach the finish line this coming weekend. It won't be easy however as this next segment is incredibly dry, warm and utterly devoid of places to resupply. They are leaving the last settlements behind as they move into this "No Man's Land." Over the next few days, they'll have to rely on themselves and the supplies they've brought along to see them through to the end.

Stay tuned for updates and check out the video below to see what Ray has been dealing with on his run so far. The Gobi looks incredible but I'm not sure I'd want to run for 35 days across it.


Expedition Gobi - Khongoryn Els (Singing Sands) from GOi2P on Vimeo.

No one ever said running across a desert would be easy, but ultrarunner Ray Zahab seems to have a way of making it look that way. In the past, he has run across the Sahara and the Atacama Deserts, as well as skied to the South Pole in record time. Now he's taking on the Gobi and three weeks in he's having an amazing experience, although some of the toughest days are still ahead.

When he set out back on June 23, Ray estimated that it would take approximately 35 days to complete the run, covering about 70 km (43.5 miles) per day. He's done a good job of hitting those distances so far despite some difficult conditions at times, while also finding time to connect with the locals who call the Gobi home. He was suppose to be running alongside fellow-ultrarunner Kevin Lin, but Kevin has been nagged with injuries almost from the start, so Ray has been doing most of the miles by himself, something that probably makes all of his interactions with the Mongolians all the more special.

What is a typical day running the Gobi like for Ray? Check out the video below to get an idea. Don't let the green, lush looking environment fool you however, as this is still a dry desert that can be very demanding. In the next few days, Ray will move into some very large sand dunes, which will add a new challenge to his efforts. Hitting those 70 km goals on a daily basis could become a much more difficult prospect.

Stay tuned for more updates as Ray continues this journey on foot through the Gobi. He still has a couple of more weeks to go until he's done, so plenty of running yet to be completed.


Expedition Gobi - No Language Barrier from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin are continuing their journey across the Gobi Desert and are now a little over a week into their run. So far they've been pretty diligent about hitting their average of 70 km (43.4 miles) per day, although they have taken some liberties here and there to enjoy some interaction with the locals and absorb the Mongolian culture. The plan is to cover 2300 km (1430 miles) in just 35 days and to do that they must maintain a steady pace.

Beyond the adventure of simply running across one of the largest deserts on the planet, the point of Expedition Gobi is to learn about life in the desert and share that experience with others. With that in mind, Ray and company are taking every chance they can get to connect with those who live in that environment. The video below is a great example of that as a young man joins the team for a portion of a run and a personal bond is formed even though neither runner speaks the others language.

While Ray continues to knock off the miles, his partner Kevin remains hobbled a bit with an injury that has prevented him from running as much as he would like. He seems to be recovering however, although he continues to limit his mileage while he works himself back into the groove. With more than three weeks to go until they wrap up their adventure, he still has plenty of opportunities to add up the mileage and they haven't even gotten to the most difficult stages just yet.

Follow Ray and Kevin's progress at Gobi2013.com.

Expedition Gobi - The Magic of Running from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Earlier this week I noted that ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin had begun their attempt to run across the Gobi Desert. They are hoping to average around 70km (43.4 miles) per day, for 35 days, in order to cross the 2300km (1430 mile) expanse of the Gobi at its widest point.That is quite an undertaking to say the least and if you've ever wondered what it is like to attempt such a long run, take a look at the video below to get an idea of what conditions are like out on the trail. This was shot on Day 2, so the terrain still looks relatively green and lush, but as they go along, it is likely to change dramatically.

This first week of running hasn't been without its challenges. Kevin has already suffered an injury to his one of his legs and has had to take some time off. Hopefully he'll be feeling better soon and he can rejoin Ray on the run. With five days down, they still have a month to go!

Expedition Gobi - Day 2 70Km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Yesterday, ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin began their 2300 km (1430 mile) trek across the Gobi Desert. The two men, who once ran the length of the Sahara together, hope to spend the next 35 days running an average of 65 km (40 miles) per day. Along the way they'll face remote and difficult terrain, extremely dry conditions and a host of other physical and mental challenges.

One of the biggest obstacles to their success is simply the logistics of being resupplied. Because the Gobi is so remote and lacking in infrastructure, Ray and Kevin's support team will have very few opportunities to provide them with fresh water along the way. They expect to receive just one supply drop each day, which isn't much considering the locations they are traveling through.

On their first day out, the two endurance athletes were able to cover 61 km (38 miles). That's not too bad for what these guys call a "warm-up." The video below gives you an idea what the start of their journey was like and we can look forward to similar videos moving forward as they continue the run.

You can follow Ray and Kevin's adventure at Gobi2013.com or on Facebook and Twitter. I'll be thinking of these guys tonight on my run, which will be a mere five miles.


Expedition Gobi - Day 1 61 Km from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin, who once teamed up to run across the Sahara together, are collaborating once again on another desert crossing. This time the two men will take on the remote and foreboding Gobi in an attempt to cover 2300 km (1430 miles) in just 35 days.

Ray and Kevin plan to run between 70-80 km (43-50 miles) per day on this epic journey through the Gobi. They will have a support team with them helping to provide the water they'll need to keep moving, but due to the remote and rugged nature of the region, they'll only be able to receive one or two resupplies each day. That means they'll need to carry plenty of water with that at all times as it will be uncertain as to when they'll be able to get more.

While crossing the Gobi, the team will also interact with the Mongolian people who still make their home in that wild place. They hope to learn from about the effects of desertification from these tough and resilient people, who are seeing its effects first hand. Ray, Kevin and the rest of the squad will share those experiences, as well as insights into life in the desert, with youth groups back home via satellite broadcasts. The hope is to educate and inspire those young people following along with a healthy dose of adventure.

The plan is for the run to actually begin on Sunday, June 23. Ray is leaving from Canada for Mongolia today and he'll connect with Kevin, who will be coming from Taiwan, later in the week. They'll spend the time leading up to start of the expedition by organizing gear, resting their bodies from the travel and acclimatizing somewhat to the climate. After that, it'll be full steam ahead for 35 days. You'll be able to follow their progress on the Expedition Gobi website, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

Good luck Kevin and Ray!

World Expedition Gobi Trailer from GOi2P on Vimeo.

In June, ultrarunners Ray Zahab and Ferg Hawke will travel to the Gobi Desert where they will attempt to run more than 2300 km (1430 miles) through one of the most demanding environments on the planet. They plan to cover roughly 70 km (43.5 miles) per day while a support team tries to keep them supplied with plenty of food and water to keep them going, something that will be a logistical challenge to say the least.

In preparation for the start of the run, which is still a month off, the team released the teaser video below. It serves the dual purpose of both inspiring us to pursue our own adventures while also giving us a glimpse of the challenges the runners will face along the way. This will certainly be a challenging endeavor for Ray and Ferg and fascinating for the rest of us to follow.

World Expedition Gobi Trailer from GOi2P on Vimeo.

Covering nearly 1.3 million sq. kilometers (500,000 sq. miles) in central Asia, the Gobi is one of the largest deserts on the planet. Its arid climate and trademark rock formations make it a difficult and demanding place, even for the hardiest of explorers. Naturally those challenges give the desert an allure that is hard for many adventurers to resist and in June of this year, two men will set out to attempt to run across the Gobi at its widest point.

The newly announced Expedition Gobi will send endurance athletes Ray Zahab and Ferg Hawk on a 2000 km (1242 mile) journey through the heart of the desert. The two men are busy preparing for their run which will see them covering approximately 70 km (43.5 miles) per day in one of the harshest environments on the planet. The expedition will be supported although the Gobi presents some logistical challenges that will likely only allow for one or two resupply points each day. That means other than getting fresh water from time to time, Ray and Ferg will mostly need to be completely self-sufficient while out on the trail.

Both Ray and Ferg are part of the impossible2Possible team which means they will weave an educational element into this great adventure. In this case, as they run across the Gobi, they'll interact with the people who have learned to make the desert their home. The Mongolian people have lived in the Gobi for centuries and have adapted well to the harsh living conditions there. They'll teach the two runners about desertification and in turn, those lessons will be shared with students in classrooms around the globe. As global climate change continues to have an impact on our planet, desertification becomes a bigger issue and something that we should all be familiar with.

No firm start date for Expedition Gobi has been announced yet, but more details on the run will be released soon. With just two months to go until the start of June, this is already shaping up to be another great adventure to follow this summer.