runningyana

I’m always up for new adventures and the Petra Desert Marathon, organized by Albatros Adventure Marathons, is definitely an experience I won’t forget! To describe it in three words: it was HOT, HILLY, and absolutely STUNNING!

This trip was so much more than just the race itself, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that showed the beauty of the country, connected people with the same passion from all over the world, and created moments that will last forever!

Let me take you on that 6 days experience with me:

Day 1 and 2 – Travel day (Oslo – Istanbul – Amman)

My journey started from Oslo Airport with a stopover in Istanbul and then to the Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). “Lucky me” I had a big 6-hour delay at Istanbul Airport, so I was stuck there overnight from 11 p.m until 5:30 a.m. desperately trying to find some sleep on a bench…

However, the arrival in Amman was super smooth. Albatros Adventure Marathons has taken care of my Visa and the transfer from the airport to the Dead Sea, which was a 45 minutes drive. My first impressions: I have arrived in a different world – HOT, sandy, and very welcoming after just recently reopening the country due to the pandemic.

Day 1 and 2 – Dead Sea (The lowest point on Earth – 420 m below sea level)

I was booked into the “Deluxe Package” which meant a stay at the 5-Star Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea. After checking in at the Hotel and the tour operators, I went to the breakfast buffet and then straight into the room for a well-needed shower after traveling for 20 hours.

The first day was a rest day, so everyone could arrive and enjoy the Dead Sea. After a little rest and a lovely lunch with two girls from our travel group, I was ready for my first experience to swim in the Dead Sea. This was definitely one of the most surreal experiences ever! The water is so dense that your whole body is super buoyant, if you try to swim conventionally your legs are almost lifted out of the water and your face is pushed under. Even floating on your back takes a little getting used to and getting a splash of water in your eye is like the worst burn experience ever!

Day 3 – Transfer from Amman to Wadi Musa, Petra

After breakfast, I packed up and we drove three hours through a hilly and rocky desert to our next hotel (Mövenpick Resort Petra) at Wadi Musa, which is just 200 m away from the Museum and Visitor Centre for Petra. It was a relief to exit the bus and find that at a thousand meters of elevation, things were a tiny bit cooler and less humid than at the Dead Sea. We enjoyed a nice traditional lunch and headed then to the check-in.

In the early evening, we had a pre-race briefing at the finish point, picking up numbers, timing chips, and shirts, and got an introduction to the route marking system (flags, arrows, and marked stones) as well as other important information. A funny fact about the race: the distance markers count down to the finish in kilometers – so we basically started at kilometer 42,2 and ran down to kilometer 0. We were also told how to deal with the Bedouin dogs as there were lots of them strolling around, barking, and protecting their territory (“don’t panic they are trained to bark but won’t chase or bite runners”). But the most important message during the race briefing is, don’t try to run a PB. With 1,074 m of elevation gain, most of which is in the last third, when the race would be at its hottest. As far as I was concerned this was an Ultra, both due to the extreme heat and the terrain, and would be run as such!

Day 4 – Race day

It’s Race Day and at 3:30 a.m my alarm went off. I got myself ready and quickly went down to the breakfast buffet to force myself to eat something – this is definitely not my preferred time to eat, but I needed some energy and ate bread with a bit of jam and drank an electrolyte-carbohydrate drink.

At 5:20 a.m we all met at the visitors center in the pre-dawn darkness and started the two-kilometer walk to the start in front of the Treasury. The narrow slot canyon leads down approximately a kilometer to the ancient city of Petra. As we walked, my eyes became accustomed to the light and the sky slowly brightened revealing more detail of where we are. I walked in silence taking in the experience and preparing myself for the race. As I could see the way ahead becoming brighter, I rounded the last few corners of The Siq and gradually gained glimpses of the Treasury carved into the cliff face – seeing it for the first time was truly a magical experience. After a few photographs and videos we lined up at the start line around 6:30 a.m and just before dawn, we counted down “3, 2, ONE – GO!” and ran off.

The first few kilometers were on sand and gravel trails as we headed down through the Petra Archaeological Park, before picking up a road that headed to the village of Umm Sdyhoun. And when I say up, it was a proper lump of a hill, that hadn’t even stood out on the elevation profile – running wasn’t possible, and crawling up would describe it best!

We continued for a couple more kilometers before heading out onto the Bedouin trails of the desert. Thankfully the sand was fairly solid and it felt decent to run on. The sun was now up but the temperature was already reaching its thirties. Sweat was running down my body and the humidity (which is not common in this area) made it quite hard to breath as well.

At around 12 km we re-joined the Half-Marathoners and hit the hot tarmac road and at 13 km, as we approached a junction where we would again split from the Half Marathon distance, I could see a massive range of hills in the far and realized that this would be the last-third Mountain in the elevation profile. Puh! But in the meantime, I had a 17 km stretch of out and back on tarmac, that generally headed down to the turnaround and therefore up on the way back. As I approached Km 21, the front-runners started to come back the other way. Thinking that the turnaround was at halfway (forgetting about an extra loop of the desert we’d done compared to the Half) I figured the turnaround must be just around the corner. Unfortunately, it was at Km 22 and involved a series of steep bends down and up where I would then finally collect my orange wristband and water, before starting the climb back up and out of the ravine.

The climb back up was a proper Ultra-mode: head down, walk as strongly as possible, and don’t stop even if your legs want to. The heat was raising rapidly, burning my skin and lungs, and it was now over 35°C! I could see the white sweat marks all over my clothes and they started to become crusty. Since we’d entered the desert, I’d been spotting interesting shapes in the wind-eroded rock formations, but now with my head down from the heat and exhaustion, I spotted dead animals and skulls along the road staring back at me!

Luckily the water stops and aid stations were frequently, about every 6 to 10 km, so they were nicely spaced, and it wasn’t necessary to carry loads of water between stops to stay reasonably hydrated and fueled. In fact, they were perfectly organized with police and medic teams patrolling along the route taking care of us and making this event safe!

We re-joined the Half Marathon route at km 30 and turned east towards the hills through Amdrin village. As I reached the next aid station, I started to feel nauseous and dizzy. I drank two electrolyte drinks and just continued to put one foot in front of the other. It was too steep to run in the heat that had reached 40°C. I teamed up with another runner (big thanks to Bart – we marched and suffered together that hill up!). Ahead I could see a strange complex of white domes that looked like some kind of lunar base (it was a Bubble-Tent Hotel). As we approached a big hairpin bend, I looked over my shoulder and in front of me, noticing that this road is not over yet! At this point, it was a true fight against not throwing up and putting one foot in front of the other. I don’t know how long it took me to get to the top aid station of that hill, but it felt like a never-ending story.

The view from the top was just breathtaking and I think this was something that really kept me going for the last 8 km. We left the tarmac and headed back to technical and steeper gravel trails.

At some point on the run, I rounded a corner or crested a rise and I could see Wadi Musa below on the valley side. The last few kilometers were steeply downhill on the baking tarmac, but I went back into a very slow jog and promised myself to not stop until I reach the finish line. I finished in 5:42h but it was never about that time in this kind of environment. Little side fact: In the evening we were told that this 10th anniversary of the Petra Desert Marathon was the hottest ever!!!

After heading back to the hotel and getting some rest, I joined the Petra Kitchen (traditional cooking class) and Petra by Night excursions. Despite being very tired, it was a beautiful experience.

Day 5 – Petra Excursions

Time has gone by so quick and sadly the last full day has come. After breakfast, we headed out for a guided tour through The Siq and Petra. Learning more about the history of this remarkable place and having a chance to explore everything in more detail.

After the tour, I joined a smaller group for a hike up to the Monastery (Ad-Deir). This 3-hour hike (from the hotel and back) is no joke with over 800 stairs up and down, but totally worth it! We enjoyed traditional Bedouin tea and music at the top of the mountain.

In the evening we had a lovely Gala-Dinner in the desert with a price ceremony, music, dancing, and lots of good food. What a beautiful ending of this experience!

Day 6 – Travel day back home

Sadly it was time to pack up the suitcase and say goodbye. My flight went off very early in the morning so I checked out at 1 a.m in the morning and had a 3-hour transfer to Amman from where I flew back to Oslo.

Overall it has been a very stunning trip and brilliantly organized by Albatross Adventure Marathons – well done and from the bottom of my heart a big THANK YOU!

For sure, this wasn’t my last adventure with this organization as Albatros Adventure Marathons is hosting a bunch of amazing races all over the world. Check them out here.

Link to the Petra Desert Marathon: https://petra-desert-marathon.com

If you would like to see more of this incredible event, then head over to my Instagram @running.yana and check out my story-highlight “Petra Marathon”.

This event was sponsored and in cooperation with Albatros Adventure Marathons.