The Best Horrible Thing I've Ever Done

This weekend was miserable. But I think it was the most fun I’ve had since I arrived in Jordan. The camaraderie that’s built when ten runners and a team mom are stuck in two vans for 20+ hours in the middle of the Jordanian desert when it’s cold, windy, rainy and dark is one-of-a-kind.

Our Dead2Red Marathon experience really began on Wednesday night. Due to crazy weather in Amman, Thursday’s classes were cancelled on Wednesday evening. I was scheduled to have a test Thursday morning so after a small bit of studying (because I knew I wouldn't want to when I got home), I pushed school out of my mind and began to pack and prepare for the run. I woke up Thursday to what seemed like two feet of slush outside. It took me much longer than normal to get to the CIEE office and when I finally did, I was soaked to the bone. Every person who arrived at the office had a different story of how their morning had gone but we were all soaked and freezing. We were definitely excited to get to Aqaba where the weather was a sunny, 60 degrees. However, a few of us may have overlooked the fact that we had to run there…

Our team getting ready to leave Amman.
Back: Neal, Zane, Brenden, Jordan, Christian, Alex, Rory
Front: Me, Anna Mae, Becca, Hannah

Four teams from CIEE ran in the race, each consisting of ten people. My team was myself, Hannah, Anna Mae, Neal, Alex, Zane, Jordan, Brenden, Christian, Rory and the best team mom, Becca. We didn’t have a strategy when we left Amman but what we lacked in planning we made up for in spirit. We were definitely going to have the most fun. By the time we arrived at the starting line at the Dead Sea we had devised a plan. We would run 2km at a time and just keep switching off until we finished. I was hesitant about this to say the least. I wasn’t sure how I would do running twelve, two kilometer chunks, but everyone else was behind the plan and so I thought I would see how it goes. In the end, it was a great set up.

Starting point: Dead Sea

Start runnin'

At one point, in the middle of the night, all three girls were running together.
We nicknamed it Ladies Night.

Follow that van!

I will do my best to explain the process of the race but, much like getting tickets and seats for a Gonzaga basketball game, it’s easier to experience the process than explain it. My team had two vans and a car. Two people rode in the car as it crawled alongside the person who was running. This car would stop every two kilometers and the person running would hop in the car as one of the individuals in the car would get out to run. By the time each of the three runners in the car had finished running, they would be at the vans that had driven six kilometers ahead to wait.

Every person had between an hour and an hour and a half between each of their runs. During this time we hung out in the vans, eating and laughing. Prior to the trip we bought lots of apples, bananas, peanut butter, bread, water and a few other key items. Everything was communal and lots of germs were shared. One of my favorite moments happened as we were discussing this.

Hannah says, “I hope no one on our team has…”

“Mono or herpes?” Becca interrupts.

“Well, I was going to say peanut allergies, but yeah, I guess that too!" said Hannah

The laughter was endless and lasted through the night.

Our team ran the last 100m or so together and crossed the finish line as a team; it was such a great feeling. No one complained or wimped out the whole race and we stuck through it together. We were all exhausted and agreed that we never wanted to do another race like this in our lives. But that night at the dinner that was hosted for all the runners there was a flyer advertising the “Wadi Rum Full Moon Desert Marathon.” 

We looked at each other and said, “Let’s do it.” 

Leg number 1. Incredibly, this may have been the hardest one.

our kitchen

Only 191km to go!

Leaving the Dead Sea

Sunrise. The night seemed to last forever!

Under 100km!!!

Ladies Night running the last 2km together.

Last 100m as a team

wiped out!

Our amazing dinner that night at a fabulous hotel in Aqaba.

We got to enjoy the beach all day Saturday in Aqaba.
From here you can stand in Jordan and see Israel and the Sinai Peninsula.