Background to Facing Africa and the Marathon des Sables

Chris Lawrence writes..

In 1993, I met Patrick Bauer (the owner and Race Director of the MdS) in Casablanca. At the time, I was the owner of the travel and holiday company "Best of Morocco" and had a great passion for the Sahara in southern Morocco which I had got to know well through my frequent visits and explorations. Patrick asked my why no British people had heard about the MdS and why he had never had a registration from anyone in the British Isles. After outlining the history of the MdS and how it was managed and organised, I took the opportunity to offer to promote the race in the UK.

Bearing in mind that in those early days, the MdS struggled to get 150 entrants from 14 countries, it was fortuitous that I met Dr Mike Stroud OBE, who had recently completed two polar expeditions with Sir Ranulph Feinnes and wanted to take part in an event that went to the opposite extreme from cold. I managed to enlist 6 people who took part in the 9th MdS in April 1994. The following year the number increased to 16 and so it grew. Within five years, the British contingent had grown to warrant me chartering our own aircraft to fly from Gatwick to Ouarzazate in the south of Morocco for 170 British competitors. After each year I was constantly on my knees to Patrick to increase the allocation of places to my company as the event had grown to 500, 700 and recently 1,000 from over 30 countries.

I have been to the MdS 7 times, though not to run or even walk, but rather to follow and cheer on my fellow Brits. By 1999, our allocation was oversubscribed each year and we had long waiting lists - it suddenly became very difficult to secure places in the MdS. The awareness and popularity of the MdS escalated when James Henderson, a journalist from the Financial Times took part and wrote a full account of the event, then Chris Moon MBE, who had lost a leg and an arm in an landmine explosion took part with a string of journalists from various members of the media wrote about his extraordinary determination and stamina and about 6 years ago Ben Fogle, the BBC presenter took part and was featured in an outstanding television documentary.

Patrick Bauer and I have been close friends since our first meeting 18 years ago. Not only because my company was instrumental in providing about 25% of the total number of competitors each year, but we both share a passion and an affinity for this amazing event that takes part some of the most spectacular scenery on earth. In 2008, having created a successful and highly respected tour operating company, I decided it was time to put something back. After months of research, I decide to register a charity - Facing Africa - that would help children who had suffered and survived the ravages of a little known disease called "noma". This disease attacked children under the age of six year through extreme poverty and malnutrition. The WHO estimates that 140,000 children die every year from this bacterial infection and that 90% of them die within 3 to 4 weeks. The surviving 10% spend the remainder of their lives in unimaginable pain and discomfort and are unable to eat, drink or speak normally. Furthermore, they are social outcasts as the disease in remote parts of Africa is considered a curse.

In November 2005, I sold Best of Morocco to a large public company in order to devote my full time to Facing Africa. I continue to have the support of many MdS entrants from the UK and other countries and the MdS is the charity's main source of donations generated by friends, colleagues and families of the competitors.

Facing Africa has a special status within the MdS granted by Patrick Bauer who has always admired and supported our work. We have an allocation of places each year that anyone from any country is eligible to apply for.

© 2012 Facing Africa - Noma Ltd. All Rights Reserved. UK Registered Charity No: 1129170