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CloseSteve is the founder of RunUltra and has been looking after runners on the Marathon des Sables from the UK and Ireland for 13 years, he can also be found on the race for the past 10 years as a course marshal (Commisaire de Course). He patrols the course on foot and in air-conditioned luxury with a medical team ensuring everyone is safe and going the right way!
Susie Chan is our Presenter for the MdS Virtual Expo. She is an Endurance Runner, taking on races of all distances but particularly enjoys running 100 mile non-stop races. She has run the Marathon des Sables more times than any other UK female. In 2017 she overcame cancer. In between all the running Susie presents and commentates on events like the National Running Show, as well as half marathons, OBC races and triathlons. She represents the sports brand Mizuno. Comfortable with live presenting and public speaking, her experience includes live marathon commentating and presenting, TV, radio and many podcasts.
Elisabet Barnes started running ultras in 2011 and she has been on the podiums in many desert - and other multi-stage races all over the world. She has completed the MdS four times and won it twice. Elisabet has been a sought after coach for MdS since 2015 and loves to support runners of all abilities to reach their dreams and goals. Read more about Elisabet on her coaching website www.ultra.coach
Shane is a running coach, movement specialist, researcher and the Author of The Lost Art Of Running. His work has taken him to six continents where has coached and researched some of the best athletes on the planet including numerous world record holders. Shane’s work focuses on taking natural human movement and turning it into human performance.
Photographer, writer, reviewer, blogger, podcaster and runner. Ian has travelled the world capturing stories, images and interviews from some of the most iconic mountain, ultra, trail and skyrunning races. Ian’s ability to combine his own sporting ability, his knowledge of the sport and his natural photographic talent makes him unique.
Aged 49 Kevin was shocked to be told he had terminal prostate cancer and may be dead in two years. For some that would have signalled time to hit the bottle but not Kevin, he embarked on a running crusade to raise funds and awareness for Prostate Cancer UK including 2 marathons on weeks 13 and 15 of chemotherapy, 4 Marathon Des Sables (the only thing on his bucket list) plus many more ultra marathons in the Arctic, Spain, Cambodia, Jordan, Sao Tome and Albania to name a few. Now aged 55 despite still being terminal and on permanent treatment he has just completed 365 consecutive days of running every day despite Covid including a back garden MDS in his total of 4,150k for the year. Married with 3 kids and 2 cats Kevin can't wait to get back to the Sahara to hopefully complete his 5th MDS as whilst he is already the only person with any T4 cancer to have completed the race 4 times he wants to set an unbreakable record in that regard!
Nick entered the 2014 MdS for the challenge...and a mid-life crisis. Not being an ultra-athlete, his aims were twofold – to finish and not come last (completed both). He has loads of powerful, practical, pragmatic tips on making sure you get that medal!
David is one of the presenters of the Bad Boy Running Podcast, founder of Caffeine Bullet and also curates the Ultra Stage at the National Running Show. He is as known for his stupid running challenges, including leading the London Marathon for 400 meters and representing England in the Beer Mile as his more serious running feats. He loves racing marathons across the globe from winning in Somaliland to craping behind a rock while protected by gunmen in Afghanistan and began his ultra-journey by finishing first Brit in the Marathon des Sables in 2016.
Twenty-six years and over 1000 marathons on from a New Year’s Resolution in 1994, Rory had literally run all over the world, including the MdS no less than fifteen times. Having completed mega-day marathons with huge daily-distances his knowledge is first-hand and he works with groups every year to fast-track people to MdS success.
Jodie has completed a Ph.D. that focused on how to maximise endurance performance in the heat with one research study including 16 MdS athletes. Jodie entered the MdS in 2019, coming 8th female overall. She has completed the Ironman World Championships twice.