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December 10, 2009 (Updated February 21, 2023)

Running. And running. And running…

by Anne Mauney, MPH, RD

11 comments
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Last night my friend Ashley and I went to the Bethesda, MD screening of the feature film documentary “Running the Sahara.” The film, which is narrated by Matt Damon, follows three ultra runners in their quest to, as the title suggests, literally run their way across the vast Sahara desert, starting on the coast in Senegal and traveling all the way across Africa to the Red Sea in Egypt.

This feat required running the equivalent of nearly two marathons per day, for 111 days straight. They ran a total of about 4500 miles. Isn’t that insane?! I can’t even imagine how hard that would be.

One of the runners from the film, Charlie Engle, was there last night to introduce the film and to do a Q & A session afterwards. I got a picture with him 🙂

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It was really interesting to meet him. As he told us during the introduction, he apparently used to be an addict in his twenties, literally living on the street at some points until he turned his life around. What an incredible story.

I’m seriously amazed by what these runners accomplished. I’d highly suggest you all check out this movie — it was so inspiring, not only in regards to running, but also from a humanitarian standpoint. After meeting and talking to the people of the Sahara along their journey, the runners were stunned by how much of a problem it is for them to get clean water. As a result, they started up a charity called H20 Africa, which is a clean water initiative aimed towards garnering awareness and support for integrated sustainable clean water programs in critical areas in Africa.

And if I weren’t already inspired enough… check out what Charlie wrote on my copy of the DVD (which we received as part of our ticket price):

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I’ve always been an idealist; I love traveling because I find it fascinating to learn about other cultures, and I’ve always been drawn towards jobs where I feel like I’d be able to really make a difference in someone else’s life. Once I get my R.D. credentials, my dream would be to travel overseas to do some sort of humanitarian work like this for awhile. What’s your dream?

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Oh, and in case you were wondering: they each went through about 25 pairs of sneakers during the journey, it only rained one day… and Charlie started running again a mere week after the expedition ended because he already missed it. 🙂

- anne
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11 comments
  • Evan Thomas
    December 10, 2009 · 3:35PM:
    That's insane My dream would be to just live a carefree life with a relaxing job and never have finances be an issue
    Reply
  • Niki
    December 10, 2009 · 3:39PM:
    Wow! That movie sounds GREAT and so inspiring! Will definitely have to check it out!!
    Reply
  • Allyson
    December 10, 2009 · 4:27PM:
    Holy crap! It is seriously insane what you can do if you put your mind to it. Right where I sit I can't even imagine running one marathon, much less like 200 of them in a row. I'll have to look this movie up for sure.
    Reply
  • Katie December 10, 2009 · 5:50PM:
    25 pairs! OMG
    Reply
  • Lee
    December 10, 2009 · 6:36PM:
    That sounds really cool. I can't imagine running that far! By the way, my mom lives walking distance from that movie theater!
    Reply
  • Lisa December 11, 2009 · 12:02AM:
    Sounds like an awesome documentary!! Ive read a little about ultra running and it sounds totally insane but I appreciate anyone that can have that much dedication to something. Im almost finished with my social work degree and am hoping to do international social work one day...and I hope to start running more often (albeit without the "ultra")....great blog!
    Reply
  • Jackie December 11, 2009 · 9:29AM:
    Incredible. That makes me feel very lazy. I hope I can find that movie, it sounds extremely interesting. I would also like to break into some kind of international humanitarian work. It would be very fulfilling!
    Reply
  • Hunter December 11, 2009 · 1:15PM:
    Wowowow-- I wonder what they did for medical care along the way? They must have been consuming like Michael Phelps volumes of calories to sustain that kind of exursion!
    Apparently they had a doctor, physical therapist, etc. along with them to help them out. Necessary! And yeah he said they were just trying to eat as much as possible on the breaks, but it still wasn't enough! - Anne
    Reply
  • kelsey @ kelseytoney
    December 12, 2009 · 9:11PM:
    WOW! Amazing! I'm going to go check out when other screenings are happening! :D
    Reply
  • Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg
    December 13, 2009 · 10:41AM:
    So cool that you got to meet one of the runners! I'd like to see that film.
    Reply
  • Julie December 26, 2009 · 10:33PM:
    You should watch "Run for your Life" about the Guy who started the New York Marathon... you'd like it! :)
    Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

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