For Desert Marathoners, Pain Is Gain

Yoo Chi-hwan recited in his poem, an account of a living in 1947, “Let us go to the Arabic Desert where the intense struggle for a living arises like a sick tree.”

The “Chile Atacama Desert Marathon,” which will be held between July 23 and 29 is a survival tournament where the participants are supposed to hike 250km for seven days carrying a backpack filled with food and equipment on their shoulders.

Desert Trek-

Lee Dong-uk is a skilled accountant who represents the Jung Dong accounting firm. He started marathon four years ago and now has a full course record of four hours and four minutes. A “sub-4” (running the full course in four hours) was his dream. However, he changed his mind when he found himself obsessed only with breaking a record.

He challenged the 100km “Ultra marathon” and he finished the marathon in Sahara Desert last August. The finish line of the course was the sphinx.

“On last day, the head of Sphinx appeared dimly in the distance. You cannot fully express the feeling at that moment.”

Mr. Lee states, “I wished to live there since I could enjoy great happiness while seeing numerous twinkling stars in the middle of the desert.”

Wish to overcome myself-

Kang Soo-dong is an experienced dance director. He directed dances and movements of popular singers like the Turtle.

“Young people prefer to go easily without suffering like surfing the Internet, but I want to improve my insights by openly confronting to hardships given to me,” he said.

Yoo Ji-sung, an expert of Desert marathoning, says, “At first, most of the participants regret with a sigh, ‘why did I decide to go through this voluntarily?’ After a few days, however, they become happy so much that they do not even want to go back. Human beings’ adaptability is amazing.”

Search for beauty-

Choi Myung-jai (48), the chief of the pediatric department at Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital, is an eccentric doctor who kayaks icebound rivers in Alaska and enjoys hip-hop dances in his leisure time. He feels pleasure in challenging his limits, such as climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, crossing the Sahara Desert, and other diversions.

Living a young life like he was in his twenties, Doctor Choi stays fit (180cm, 80kg). However, only 10 years ago, he was over 100kg and suffering from various adult diseases.

He began to work out after being humiliated on a mountain hiking with his wife, where he gave his bag to his wife and was mocked for ‘making a lady carry a bag’ from others.

He succeeded in losing 17kg of his weight in a year and he has been running the whole course of a marathon three times every year since five years ago.

It was after reading the book ‘Do not die before you go there’ when he decided to go to Atacama.

“Atacama is different from other ordinary deserts. It was the feast of fantastic colors.” He says “My heart is already pounding with the idea of running on the nature’s skin under clothes on my own feet.”

Don’t be scared, just enjoy-

Experts say, “Desert Marathoning is not exceedingly difficult as much as it is generally known to public. It is not necessary to be scared before you try.” Of course, it is not easy, but still you can enjoy it while you are repeatedly switching running and walking.

Yoo Ji-sung, who finished the Desert Marathon six times, says, “Personal skills take 50 percent, equipment 20 percent, mental power 30 percent overall in the marathon. Anyone can challenge if one keeps developing physical strength with exercises such as mountain climbing, trekking, etc.”

Jae-Yun Jung jaeyuna@donga.com