Lanzarote Training Camp has been a yearly fixture for Cathy Searle and her best buddy, Emma Burton they came in 2020 and then followed up with 2022, 2023 and 2024.
“Both Emma and I can’t stop signing up for new adventures.”
Cathy came to more organised running after joining a running club in 2018, it is here that she met Emma and they contemplated the dilemma of new car or MDS?
“For a few years I had been running on my own and with my dog, I had run a couple of half marathons but that was it. One of the first people I met was Emma and towards the end of the year I mentioned to her that I was thinking of signing up for the MDS on the basis that as a form of mid life crisis , it is cheaper than a car.”
Of course, the ideal answer here would have been to enter Marathon des Sables and still buy a car, but Cathy refrained and with the support of Emma, the duo signed up for MDS.
“Emma thought that was a splendid idea, so, early in 2019 we signed up and started entering events to prepare ourselves for the multi-day experience: Race to the Kings, Atlantic Coast Challenge, XNRG’s Druids and Pilgrims Challenges.”
Cathy and Emma were determined to find out everything they could about the MDS to give themselves the best chance of completing.
“Google searches inevitably led us to the Lanzarote Training Camp and we signed up for January 2020 a few months before the scheduled date of our departure for the Sahara.”
Cathy and Emma arrived at the camp and they were like sponges. They soaked up all the information, attended every workshop, nailed all the training sessions and their progress was remarkable as was their enthusiasm.
“The camp was amazing and the advice from MDS champion, Elisabet Barnes, in particular was invaluable. I learnt about foot care, packing, nutrition and my confidence was boosted by surviving a 100-mile training week. We also made so many friends who were also going to MDS with us in 2020.”
Covid put all plans in the air, MDS 2020 was cancelled, as was the re-scheduled date. Even the 2021 Lanzarote Training Camp was a victim and it was late 2021 before there was a return to some normality.
“The 2020 MDS was cancelled and rescheduled 3 times before we finally set off in October 2021. I discovered early on that despite all the time and effort I had put into heat acclimation, I did not do well in extreme temperatures. Add to that Norovirus which hit me on day 3 – I withdrew and returned to the hotel in Ourzartate to rest and recover. I knew then that my ultra running days had only just started and not ended with the disappointment of my first ever DNF.”
Cathy decided that her introduction to MDS, the Sahara and the desert was not for her, future projects would be more mountainous based and ideally, a little cooler.
“I signed up for the 2022 Beyond The Ultimate Highlands Ultra on Knoydart with a couple of other 3-day challenges in the run up which I ended up referring to as the Insanity Series. That was so good that I signed up for the Cape Wrath Ultra in to 2023 and persuaded Emma to come too even though she hates being cold and is not keen on heights. It was the best thing I have ever done and the preparation and training from Lanza and the support of all the fellow Lanza campers was an important part of that.”
Determined to keep going as long as her legs will allow, Cathy and I am sure Emma will continue to challenge themselves.
“This year I have a few adventures lined up including the Tour of Arran in April and a hike along the GR20 in Corsica in June. After that who knows; It’s a big world out there and the next adventure is just around the corner.”
The inspiration Cathy gets from her fellow Lanza campers will no doubt cause her to submit many more entries.
“I know my buddy Emma will join me on some of them as both of us are incapable of saying no!”
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LANZAROTE TRAINING CAMP - January 8th to 15th 2026 