View from the Far Side

Running the Marathon des Sables 2024

By Josh Bloom

April 11, 2024

On 12th April 2024 I shall embark upon the greatest challenge of my life.
—The Marathon des Sables (MDS)—
Known as the “Thoughest Footrace on Earth”

It’s a 250km Ultra Marathon through the Sahara desert, in temperatures which often exceed 50°C in the day and can go as low as 5°C at night. It also involves carrying a backpack full of food and gear the entire time which will weigh over 10kg on the start line.

I run to support two organizations which are doing incredible work for the planet:

ICEERS Defenders of indigenous rights and advocates for the ancient healing and wisdom of plant medicines.

RAIN Reforest An organization committed to reforestation efforts around the Amazon, working hand in hand with indigenous and traditional communities to restore what has been lost.

visit josh´s Gofundme page

Josh runs 250km in Sahara to help save Rainforests

On 12th April 2024 I shall embark upon the greatest challenge of my life. The Marathon Des Sables (MDS). Known as the “Toughest Footrace on Earth”.

Why have I chosen to undertake such a grueling challenge as the Marathon Des Sables?

Long distance running, like meditation, helps me to strip away the layers of thought and conditioning and thus connect with an inner core of resilience. From here I am reminded of what is real and what matters most in life. As the miles clock up and the pain grows, each footfall is like a hammer beating out the impurities of my body and mind. Not only does it burn up calories like nothing else but it allows me to tap into a source of inner courage, wisdom and clarity. And escape to some extent the conditioned mindset, which is becoming harder to break free from with modern society’s perpetual digital bombardment.

Another reason I have chosen this particular race is due to the desert setting. For many years I have had dreams of wandering through a vast desert. Being guided by a great sage or prophet. Perhaps this vision stems from the migration of my ancestors through harsh desert wildernesses.

Some of us take to reading ancient scriptures and sacred texts to uncover knowledge and wisdom from the past. I will put myself through a week of anguish in the desert in an attempt to reconnect with the struggles of my ancient ancestors. Also to establish how far I can push myself and perhaps gain insights into generational family trauma and potential paths to closing such cycles.

I have no doubt it will be an epic adventure of a lifetime.

Also I have been keen to run this race for several years as past participants have claimed that it has transformed them like little else in their lifetime. The person that emerges from the desert after the race is very different from the person that enters it. Furthermore, countless people have mentioned that they have met some of their dearest lifelong friends during this event.

Institute of Ecotechnics, The Founders of the Biosphere 2, The institute of ecotechnics are planetary stewards and innovators.

Synergetic Press, An independent publishing house specializing in ecology, sustainability, consciousness, and anthropology.

The McKenna Academy, Our vision is to be a catalyst in creating an awakened world where all species thrive in symbiotic harmony.

Recyclium, a blockchain-based bounty system that tracks products and recyclables and allows them to be returned to producers while fairly rewarding collectors. A solution for cleaning up our planet with AI and Blockchain!

Cocoon Weaver, a specialist note taking tool to help our otherwise unstructured and busy mind cope with stress, time management, and enter mindful states. Great for voicing thoughts on the go like during running.