Adventure News: Second-straight victories for Garcia Beneito and Flammersfeld in stunning Gobi March 2012

Adventure News: Second-straight victories for Garcia Beneito and Flammersfeld in stunning Gobi March 2012 - Ndorfin, South Africa

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Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Second-straight victories for Garcia Beneito and Flammersfeld in stunning Gobi March 2012

Spain�s Vicente Garcia Beneito

[17 June 2012 Hong Kong]� Spain�s Vicente Garcia Beneito, 36, won the Gobi March 2012, earning his second-straight 4 Deserts victory in a time of 23:12:33. Garcia Beneito, winner of the Atacama Crossing 2012, never once relinquished his lead during the week-long, 250-km race.

In the highly competitive women�s competition, German Anne-Marie Flammersfeld, 31, won her
second-straight women�s event, leading the Gobi March 2012 from Stage 1 through the finish line
in a time of 27:53:21. Flammersfeld finished fourth overall.

�I am so happy,� said Garcia Beneito, at the finish line at a village school outside of Kashkari.
�Some moments were very difficult but it was good I had my wife Mariana here, so it gave me
hope. The most difficult day was the first day because the pack was the heaviest. Stage 4 was
my favourite, but also the finale was spectacular with all the children. It made me remember my
son.�

Flammersfeld was equally thrilled with her achievement.

�I�m feeling great, no pain,� Flammersfeld said. �Just the stomach had some problems. I felt very
good during this whole race. The difference from the Atacama Crossing was that there I was
running with a lot of people and here I went at my own pace. On my own, I go faster.�

The ninth edition of one of the world�s most popular endurance races was held in the Kashgar
region of China�s farwest province of Xinjiang. Of the 160 starters, 145 competitors crossed the
finish line.

Said RacingThePlanet CEO and founder Mary Gadams: �I�m extremely proud and impressed of
the level of competition in the Gobi March 2012, both with our many former winners and
competitors as well as the many competitors making their RacingThePlanet debuts. I would like
to congratulate Vicente and Anne-Marie, whose strength and talent were once again on display
as they won every stage this week.�

The Gobi March 2012 supported the Esquel-Y.L. Yang Foundation. Since 2005, RacingThePlanet
has worked with the foundation to donate sporting equipment and over 8,200 books to schools
along the route of the Gobi March.

A truly international event, competitors representing six different nationalities comprised the top-
three overall and top-three women.

Second overall was first time 4 Deserts competitor Mo N. Foustok of Saudi Arabia, 30, while third
was France�s Philippe Gatta, 33. The strong women�s field saw Canadian Stephanie Case, 29,
th
finish second behind Flammersfeld (11 overall) and Beijing-based Belgian Virginie Goethals, 36,
th
the third-fastest woman (16 overall). The Shanghai-based Team STC, which includes Zhang
Ling, 32, Pei Jun, 40, Tina Wailing, 51 and Wei Liang gang, won the team competition.

In total, 42 different nationalities were represented, with a noticeable increase in the number of
competitors from China, India, South America and the Middle East, speaking to the global growth
of the sport.

Said Hong Kong-based American Robert Hutchinson, who at 70 is the oldest competitor in the
Gobi March 2012, as he crossed the finish line: �There is nothing to it.�

For many competitors, the Gobi March 2012 was less about the ranking than about the
experience.

�It�s been really emotional,� said Hong Kong-based Briton Emily Woodland, who was the fourth-
fastest woman. �It�s not really about the finish line; it�s about the whole week and the people you
meet.�

American Pamela Rickard, 50, who is running in support of RunWell, said: �I can�t even describe
how I feel right now. I have run in many places but this exceeds all experiences and
expectations.�

Indian Arvind Sirohi, 44, who was one of the final competitors to complete the Gobi March 2012
said: �This has been truly a life changing experience.�

About the Gobi March 2012 (10 June � 16 June 2012) www.gobimarch.com

The Gobi March is one of the four races that comprise the world renowned 4 Deserts series of
250-kilometer, rough-country footraces.

The race takes place in China's ancient Gobi Desert in Kashgar.

The Gobi March's challenges include the changes in temperature from the cool highlands to heat
of the desert, potential sandstorms and variety of terrain � green fields, rocky tracks, steep hills,
ridges and riverbeds with multiple water-crossings.

Competitors must plan carefully to maintain the delicate balance between physical exertion,
nutrition and hydration in order to successfully complete the race.

About the 4 Deserts - www.4deserts.com

The 4 Deserts is the world�s leading endurance footrace series, a unique collection of world-class
races that take place over 7 days and 250 kilometers in the largest and most forbidding deserts
on the planet.

Competitors must go beyond the limits of their physical and mental endurance. Racing self-
supported in the most inhospitable climates and formidable landscapes, they must carry all their
own equipment and food, and are only provided with drinking water and a place in a tent each
night to rest.

The series, named again by TIME magazine as one of the world�s Top 10 endurance
competitions, comprises the Atacama Crossing in Chile, the Gobi March in China, the Sahara
Race in Egypt and The Last Desert in Antarctica.

Germany's Anne-Marie Flammersfeld in the lead