MdS Timings No 9

FINAL INFO

ALLOCATION OF TENTS
When you arrive on the first bivouac, the bivouac marshals will direct you to the Berber tents corresponding to your country of residence. Each tent accommodates 8 competitors. You are free to choose the tent that appeals to you most in your section: places are not assigned. To make placing easier, you can put together a group of 8 competitors and inform the bivouac marshals when you arrive. You will keep the same tent throughout the event.

WASTE
Bin bags will be distributed to each tent, please use them. To reduce the volume of waste, remember to compress water bottles and any other packaging. Any used batteries should be handed over to the bivouac marshals; throwing them into the bins along the route is strictly prohibited. As a reminder, anyone who leaves waste outside the bins will be penalised.

AVOID GETTING ILL OR HURT UNNECESSARILY
• Don’t walk barefoot around the bivouac to avoid thorns, insect stings, and other annoyances.

• Don’t drink from other people’s bottles to avoid picking up germs.

• Don’t drink water from a well under any circumstances, only drink the water provided by the organization to avoid stomach upsets and other disorders.

TOILETS
We invite you to use the toilets installed around the bivouac. Special biodegradable, compostable bags will be provided for use in these toilets. These bags guarantee perfect personal hygiene. External bins serve to collect the bags outside the toilets. They are emptied regularly.
Cubicles reserved for women are set up around the bivouac. They are out-of-bounds to men and do not replace toilets.

HEAT, WATER AND SALT
It’s worth mentioning again: heat, water and salt are a trio that you’re going to have to manage to finish your MDS in the best conditions. Protect yourself from the heat (cap, bandana, perhaps long sleeves, sun cream, shade whenever possible if you feel yourself overheating), use your water astutely (drink regular small sips, wet the nape of your neck, your armpits), and use the salt tablets provided by the organization to compensate for significant loss from sweat (20 tablets per day, which means 2 per bottle).

KEEP IN TOUCH
This year, our communication and tracking devices are even better! Your loved-ones will be able to follow your every move on MDS and send you daily encouragements.

• Receive messages from friends and family: through the MDS website, your loved-ones can send you messages, which will be delivered to you on the bivouac.

• Send messages to your friends and family: every day, you can send a free email (and even several if you queue up each time). No photos, just text, to one recipient (organize a relay address before you go).

• Satellite telephone: every day, you can call your loved-ones using a satellite telephone (€2 / min, in cash). Remember, using a mobile phone on the bivouac or route is not authorized, so move further away if you want to use yours… and remember that in the desert, you won’t find much network coverage, and no electricity!

• Discover the stage of the day: on the MDS website, your loved-ones will be able to visualise the day’s stage (map + description), posted online daily.

• Follow your progress (MDS Live): on the MDS website, friends and family will be able to follow your progress live thanks to the SPOT messenger that you will be carrying.

• Ranking: at the end of the day, the stage ranking and general ranking will be updated.

• News streaming: on MDS social networks, find the latest information, anecdotes and photos throughout the day. (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

• Videos: all the official MDS videos are available on our Youtube channel.

• MDS web series: on the MDS website, watch a new episode in the MDS web series every day to explore the experiences of a dozen competitors.

• TV5 Monde: watch the MDS highlights of the day on the different TV5 Monde channels from 8 to 15 April.

France/Belgium/Switzerland
20:56, Paris time

EUROPE:
20:59 Paris/Berlin time

AFRICA:
22:55 Paris time/ 20:55 Dakar

NORTH AFRICA / MIDDLE EAST:
20:56 Paris time/ 21:56 Beirut

ASIA:
02:55 Paris time/ 07:55 Bangkok (broadcast from 9 to 16 April)

PACIFIC:
00:55 Paris time/ 07:55 Tokyo (broadcast from 9 to 16 April)

UNITED STATES:
00:26 Paris time/ 18:26 New York

LATIN AMERICA:
22:56 Paris time/ 17:56 Buenos Aires

CANADA
5:30 Montreal time

And lastly, why not sign up your friends and family to the MDS Newsletter: they will receive it each evening, and find a summary of the day’s stage, race conditions, personality features, etc. It might even be about you!

See you very soon under the Moroccan sun!