Photographer Kirsten Kortebein provides the following photo gallery of the 2013 Marathon des Sables.
“ACDC gets me through this.” – Katharine Heffer, Great Britain
Female champion Meghan Hicks (USA) celebrates at the finish line.
Four of the top men’s racers – (left-to-right) Miguel Capo, Carlos Sa, Mohamad Ahansal, and Aziz El Akad – run in their typical “pack” formation during Stage 3.
Mustapha Ait Amar of Morocco prepares couscous as a final meal during the pre-race “acclimatization” day.
Rory Coleman of Great Britain sports international toenails during the Marathon des Sables.
“When the weather is good, your morale is good. And when your morale is good, you are strong.” – Samir Akhdar, Morocco
Taking advantage of the rest tents provided, a runner naps at a checkpoint during the third stage.
Runners scale a rocky dune during the marathon’s third stage.
Runners navigate a dune field during the fourth and longest stage of the MdS.
Mohamed Lahna enters a checkpoint during Stage Four. Lahna is a Moroccan paratriathlete.
A runner examines her roadbook while cooking dinner during Stage Four, the race’s longest stage. After her meal, she still had 30 km to go to complete the course.
USA’s Carlos Medina uses words of encouragement as motivation during the fifth and final stage of the 2013 Marathon des Sables.