Faced with an epic challenge, three runners have put their lives on the line to make a difference. They crossed the Sahara to tell the world the story of its people. Here are their stories.

Ray Zahab, Canada
A former elite equestrian rider, he has established himself as one of the world’s premier endurance athletes, having already run across portions of the Sahara. He was a two-time competitor in the world’s toughest foot race—the Marathon de Sables—and he placed 3rd in the Trans 333, where he covered 333 kilometers (207 miles) of Niger’s Tenere Desert non-stop. When he isn’t running across deserts, he is a personal trainer and lifestyle coach with the philosophy that there is a strong mind and body connection to fitness and well being. His love for adventure sports comes from a passion for progressive challenges, ones that acknowledge his limitations and provided endless possibilities of self awareness.

Charlie Engle, USA
Expedition Team Leader / Expedition Originator
A 42-year-old American father of two boys, a television producer, and one of the best ultra distance marathon runners in the world today, Engle has been a runner, climber, and adventure racer for more than 30 years. He recently finished first in both a race across the Gobi Desert and in a seven-day race through the Amazon jungle. He has crossed the Atacama Desert in Chile, charted the jungles of Vietnam and Borneo, climbed to the top of the volcanoes in Ecuador, summited Mt. McKinley, and has run across Death Valley. He sees running the Sahara as a personal quest to find fulfillment through both physical and mental challenges, believing that it will be an unparalleled journey of discovery.

Kevin Lin, Taiwan
28 years old and living like a rock star in Taipei, Taiwan, Kevin is one of the most well known endurance athletes in all of Asia. A full-time graduate student, he recently won the first ever 150-mile (241-kilometer) race across the Atacama Desert in Chile, dancing across the finish line while more than half the field had to be rescued from the course. He believes that learning and positive changes are the result of suffering, as suffering only makes one a stronger and better person.

Read more, track the route they took, and see the latest updates at runningthesahara.com

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