The 1,000-kilometer Mongol Derby kicks off on August 22nd. Twenty-six equestrians are currently confirmed for the race, which runs between Delgerhaan (home to this awesome Genghis Khan statue) and Kharkhorin. More riders are expected to join the fray as the start date nears, but only those hardy enough to stomach the event’s heavy warning that survival is by no means guaranteed. Our favorite word of caution:
The nature of the Mongol Derby means that if you do fall off, the response time of the medical back up is going to depend on where you are and if you have been able to activate your emergency beacon. And if you are seriously injured you may be hundreds of miles from the nearest hospital.
In other words: You fall? You die.
Follow a Mongol Derby competitor’s blog here. Want to join the fun yourself? Hope you have deep pockets—the entry fee alone is $4,500.
Hannah Ritchie // Jun 24, 2009 at 9:17 am
Hi,
Fantastic to see there is so much interest in this race. I am one of the 26 riders competing.
If anyone is interested, please visit my riders’ website at http://theflyingnomad.net.
Cheers,
Hannah
Brendan I. Koerner // Jun 24, 2009 at 11:18 am
@Hannah Ritchie: Many thanks for the comment, and good luck out on the steppe. I’ll try and score you some fans, by designating you Microkhan’s Official Mongol Derby Competitor. Looking forward to your updates from the trail.
Mongol Derby, Cont’d // Jun 24, 2009 at 12:46 pm
[…] response to yesterday’s post about the rough-and-toughMongol Derby, one of the race’s brave competitors wrote in to ask for Microkhan’s support. So let it […]