Pathfinder Closing Ceremonies

Marineris - Kumbha 1, 2077, m249

Elaine Nguyen (KMH) and Gunvir Pachehra (Europa) take the women's and men's overall title for Pathfinder Marathon 2077.

10 days racing across Valles Marineris came to an end yesterday as the final runners in the women's program comleted Stage 5 and crossed the threshold into Marineris colony.

In a very short period of competition, Pathfinder Marathon has become an interplanetary phenomenon, rivalling the popularity of the Martian Aero Football League among Earth fans.  Virtual sim portals, such as SportzUmbark have lit up with dozens of game titles paying homage to the Martian survival marathon.

Even before the final runners crossed the finish line, signature sponsors Drinqium, Reprogus and AAA Capital Bank had already inked a new deal that would see the expansion of the sporting event.  This led to yesterday's announcement of Pathfinder Sport Athletics Committee  (PSAC).  This newly formed group will not only be responsible for Pathfinder Marathon, but to expand the program.  Aigar Masing, of MAFL fame, has joined the board of directors, adding the marathon to his Mars sport portfolio.

"Pathfinder is another example of how Mars is blossoming,", said Masing, "For decades, Mars has been perceived as a science experiment and strip mine for natural resources, so we are all proud to be evolving beyond those stereotypes; defining our own culture."

Indeed, the marathon has sparked tremendous pride across all the settlements.  Combined with MAFL activities, Marineris was absolutely bursting with excitement and revelry. Pathfinder's Parade of Colonies marched through the colony bringing the festive affair to the thousands of local residents and visitors.

Later that evening, the winners were finally officially recognized, first with awards for individual stage victors.

This was followed by the prestigious Overall Titles.  The overall winners are tabulated on a point system that weighs each stage by difficulty against each challenger's performance (time). A perfect score, winning all 5 stages would result in 10,000 points.

The overall title for women's went to Elaine Nguyen of KMH with a score of 7,032.  Though Geneva Liu and Luisa Murilla took 2 stages each, both had poor results on other stages.  Nguyen's win in Stage 1, the highest difficulty course (accounting for 3000 points), along with strong performances in the other 4, helped her capture the title.  Liu and Murilla ranked 4th and 8th respectively in scoring.

An engineer for the KMH operation by day, Nguyen, downplayed her win, "I still can't believe it.  It's just an honour to be among these brave men and women. Everyone who made the attempt is a hero in my eyes.  Trust me, only 19 of us made it through the entire program."

The men's overall was awarded to Gunvir Pachehra with a total score of 6,343.  A well deserved victory for the 40 year old from Europa who won two critical stages (Noctis Labyrinthus and Melas Chasma) and fought through multiple injuries to avoid disqualification.  

"This has been one of the greatest experiences," said the father of two, "And  tonight, I've been invited to meet with Europa United scouts!"

The momentum from this Pathfinder Marathon 2077 is sure to build as the mantle passes from Marineris.  PSAC closed the ceremonies with an invitation for proposals as they seek the next hosting colony for the next games, to be held in the second half of m249.  Though this may seem like a long time through the lens of a spectator, a half Martian year leaves little preparation time for the next round of hopeful runners.

According to PSAC, "Planning Pathfinder Marathon 2078 started last week."

Men's Marathon Finale

Aquarius 27, 2077, m249

Who would have thought a sport like Pathfinder could ever exist, particularly on a planet where the baseline for survial is already off the charts on the difficulty scale.  Yet, in so many ways, it is fitting that the colonists that already live on the edge, continue to push the threshold, to go that one step farther towards precarious existence.

According to the sources within the immigration council, there has been a 25% increase in applications from Earthers looking to immigrate to the colonies. Could Mars' popularity be directly tied to the risky sports we play, the way we live our lives and how we face adversity?   This is the stuff that makes the population of an entire planet collectively feel pride.

Today, the final stage in the Men's Pathfinder Marathon concluded in epic fashion.  From the pool of 53 men that started 8 days ago, only 18 remained to face Melas Chasma, the deadly vertical ascent and the race along the rim of the canyon toward Marineris.

Alan Sawyer takes Stage 5 for Columbia Hills.

The climb not be merciful and was quick to claim the first victims.

Pylypovych (KMH) withdrew shortly after passing the 1/2 way mark , "I stopped to rest, thinking I would catch my breath.  After 30 minutes sitting on that ledge, I knew I was finished.  It was no longer safe for me to continue."

Carlos Fernandes of San Olympus and favourite Gunvir Pachehra would both fall at the steepest point.  Fernandes would be finished due to a broken hip.  But for Pachehra, it would seem, two cracked ribs on top of his broken wrist wasn't enough to stop him.  He was a man on a mission.

Fredrick Mallette was forced to drop out just metres from reaching topside.   His equipment, taxed over days of competition, started to fail.  With a system failure warning in his EV suit that he was unable to silence, he was disqualified by officials, leaving a battered Pachehra and Samual Gates as the last representatives of Europa.

Even after the punishing climb, the relatively straightforward course that remained continued to weed out the pack.  One by one they succumbed to exhaustion, literally dropping mid-stride.  Nicholas Buruk of KMH who had held 1st position after the ascent and Jason Zhuan, winner at Calydon Fossa, conceded well before the final stretch.

It would be Alan Sawyer who would enter Marineris first.  Upon crossing the threshold into the airlock, Sawyer took Stage 5 with a time of 7 hours and 29 minutes.

Marshall Shannon (HDX) came in second at 7 hours and 51 minutes, followed by Owen Dubad of Marineris 7 minutes later.  Dubad tore off his helmet and called out, "It's good to be home, Marineris!", to the cheering crowd.

Favorite Raihaan El-Morad finished in 7th position while a broken, but jubilated Pachehra successfully crossed the finish line in 8th position, where he was immediately whisked away by a waiting medical vehicle.

Only 19% of the starting pack made it through all 5 stages; a reminder of how incredibly difficult the challenge is.

Final award ceremonies will be held tomorrow evening after the completion of the Women's Stage 5 run.

Pachehra Owns Stage 4!

Aquarius 24, 2077, m249

Gunvir Pachehra dominates the field, crossing the finish line in 10 hours and 07 minutes, more than an hour and a half ahead of 2nd place Fedir Pylypovych (KMH).

To put his feat into perspective, Pachehra achieved an average running speed of 36 kph over the 360 km course.  The mechanical advantage of modern blades can propel a runner on Mars up to 60 kph in ideal conditions – Note: Melas Chasma was far from ideal today.  

The floor of  Melas Chasma is a combination of rough eroded canyon and fine ash-like particles.  At many points in the race, the runners stirred up so much dust that visibility was severely reduced.  Staying in front may have given Pachehra a critical advantage.

Europa's Pachehra has a lot to smile about.  Today, he wins his second stage, conquering Melas Chasma.

At the 100 km mark, Pachehra slipped after hitting loose debris.  He skidded, fell back onto one arm, but was able to push himself back to a running position.  It was only after the race when examined by medical staff, it was revealed that he had suffered an injury in that incident.  Pachehra had run 260km with a broken wrist.  Though he had overcome adversity to win the stage, it is unclear if he will be able to participate in the final stage on Saturni.   Chasma Rim will require significant climbing before the final sprint to the finish line in Marineris.

Whether he runs stage 5 or not, Pachehra has become a hero across Mars.  Such a physically demanding sport was thought to be for the young, but this year clearly defies that belief.  At 40, Pachehra is not even the oldest runner in contention.  Fellow Europa racer, Mathius Steinback is 53 and came in a respectable 8th today. 

A total of 5 runners withdrew from the course.  Most notable was David Atieno, the only VEX contender.  Vallis Expeditionary Corporation is not only one of the primary sponsors of Pathfinder, it is widely considered the founding settlement of the sport.  

With only 19 runners remaining, they will face the final 240 km along the rim of the Valles Marineris.  

Men's Stage 3 - Chaos Decimates

Aquarius 23, 2077, m249

The story of the day for the men's heat was simple: They dropped like flies.

This was the 4th day of racing for the men and it was apparent how worn down they had become early in the day.  With the start point at the centre of Tithonium Chasma, the 200 km course across the canyon system into Candor Chaos presented unique challenges for the runners.  Though appearing mostly smooth, the floor of the Chasma is mostly composed of pristine landslide material, making for an unpredictable running surface. 

Segments of the course were too soft for blades.  Racers were often required to dismount and run on foot using poles to keep balance.  All of this extra effort compounding on the already weary pack.

By mid morning, Bavash Yalaran (Marineris) called it quits after 54 km.

Before lunch, Xue Feng Fu and Sam Kashmiri, both from San Olympus, tapped out at 56 km and 58 km respectively.

As the terrain shifted heading into Candor Chaos, Michael Pan (Europa) collapsed at 115 km.  2 km back, upon seeing Pan drop down, Paul Borroni (Novyimir) made the decision to end his race.

Jamal Carter (Columbia Hills), who started with a commanding lead for the first half, maintained a top 5 position through most of the day until an unlucky step caught a blade and his leg snapped as his body twisted around his fixed leg.

This opened up the opportunity for Owen Dubad (Marineris) to take the lead.  Dubad did not let it go to waste.  Pacing himself carefully against Samual Gates (Europa), Dubad was able to hang on to take the Stage.

Behind him, 9 more racers withdrew, calling it quits and conceding to Candor Chaos.  In total, 15 racers did not finish, the largest single drop off in this year's competition.  This leaves 23 runners for the final 2 stages.

"A lot of notable contenders went down today," said Garin Papaviny, former Pathfinder Champion, "Mehrad Shirani and Jamal Carter were favourites from bootcamp that I thought had a chance, but Pathfinder is merciless.  Tomorrow we will see how the women fair against Chaos."

Panchehra (Europa), winner of stage 1, finished in 18th position.  Crowd favourites El-Morad (Al'amal), Rafeeq Afzal (Al'amal), and Marshall Shannon (HDX) survive for Stage 4.

Men's Stage 2 - Calydon Fossa

Aquarius 22, 2077, m24

Heavy winds delayed yesterday's  start for the men's Stage 2 race.  Runners waited impatiently in a staging vehicle before the winds died down and officials were able to give the all-clear to race at Calydon Fossa.

The course:  a 250 km track along the long shallow depression, ending with a climb up the plateau to the middle of Lus Chasma.  Though it is a much smoother terrain with a designated path, wind and inconsistent surface conditions increased the difficulty of this otherwise straightforward stage.

All 45 runners dawned their blades for the challenge and made a clean, fast start from the gate at 10:30.

Based on pre-race trials, Thomas Pederson (Tiangong), Evan Silva (Marineris), Samual Gates (Eurpoa), and Hakim Ramsey (Marineris) rank as the strongest endurance runners, but fresh off the momentum of Noctis Labyrinthus, Pachehra (Europa), Shannon (HDX) and El-Morad (Al'amal) took the early lead.

Shortly after checkpoint 3 at 75 km, Daniel Kwan (Marineris) lost balance from a gust of wind and crashed into fellow Marineris runner, Clayton Mitchell.  The two tumbled to the ground as others quickly manoeuvred around or over them. Both men were uninjured, but a frustrated Mitchell walked off and did not return to the race.  Kwan did resume running, however, after 1 km, he too withdrew from the race, claiming he had hit the wall.

El-Morad (Al'amal), Pederson (Tiangong), Pylpoovych (KHM) and Zhuan (Haucheng) gained distance from the main pack.  Zhuan held a narrow lead in 1st position at checkpoint 5.

On multiple occasions, strong headwinds forced runners to stop.  For some, this was a welcome unscheduled break.

By the halfway point, Evan Silva had taken the lead and Stage 1 winner, Pandehra (Europa) was able to manoeuvre into 2nd position. 

Rura Misra (San Olympus) withdrew at the 157 km mark suffering from cramps.

Jason Zhuan of Haucheng takes Stage 2.

In the  final 25 km of the race,  Zhaun had a second wind, fighting back from 4th potion to take Stage 2  a time of 8 hours, 8 minutes.

Panderha held on for second with  Rafeeq Afzal (Al'amal) at his heals crossing the line just 15 seconds after.  Afzal, who came in last on the Noctis Labyrinthus course expressed surprise at his own performance.

"This is an incredible result for me," Afzal said, "It's hard to gauge your chances when you barely survive the first round, so this is a huge confidence-builder for Stage 3."

The last stretch heading into Lus Chasma claimed the most casualties on the course, including frontrunner Evan Silva who collapsed from exhaustion midway through his ascent.  Thomas Pedersen who was in the top 10 for much of the race also had to withdraw when one of his blades broke at the 228 km mark.   A total of 9 runners were scratched when all was said and done, leaving 38 competitors for Stage 3.

Men's Stage 1 Concludes

Aquarius 20, 2077, m249

Ben Obalambo of Amrita suffer concussion with only 17 km left in the course.  Obalambo withdrew and was transported to Marineris for medical attention.

9 hours after Europa’s Pachehra crossed the finish line, the final runners completed Stage 1.

It was a gruelling finish that took a toll, claiming 6 of the 53 runners.  

Wei De Cheung was the first to tap out at the 80% mark.  Cheung was rated highly after pre-testing, but the course got the better of him and he called in his support vehicle shortly after 18:45.

“I’m disappointed,” Cheung said after returning to the mobile village, “I was too far behind.  The idea of tracking through the course in the dark was too daunting for me.  I hate to blame my gear, but I it wouldn’t have been safe to make the journey with what I had.”

At 21, Cheung vows to return next year, however, unless he is able to independently finance, he will find it difficult to find sponsors after dropping out so early from this race.

Man down

Ben Obalambo was the only runner to drop out due to injury.  After what appeared to be a harmless fall, Obalambo called in medic support shortly after complaining of dizziness.  He was transported back to Marineris for observation.  With Obalambo out, Amrita has only one remaining racer, Rafeeq Afzal, who cut it tight to beat the clock before disqualification.

Last but not least

Afzal  was the last to cross the finish line at 24:49, officially completing on day 2 and with barely an hour remaining on the countdown clock.   He came in with hands in the air, to applause from the support staff.  You would never have known he was in last position.

“This is huge moment for me,” the 20 year old exclaimed, “There were moments I didn’t think my equipment would hold up, but I promised myself I was not going to be eliminated tonight.”

With the Men’s course cleared, Stage 1 was prepped for the Women’s program by ground crews.  Three locations were flagged out of safety concerns identified from the Men’s run.  The Women’s run begins tomorrow morning at 9:30 until mandatory rest period at 19:30.

For the Men, Stage 2 begins in the afternoon of Saturni.

Day 2 - Pachehra Takes Stage

Aquarius 20, 2077, m249

Pachehra of Europa takes Noctis Labyrinthus beating 52 runners in Stage 1.

This afternoon, Gunvir Pachehra was the first cross the Stage 1 finish line.

From 5th position this morning, more than 3 km behind HDX’s Marshall Shannon, Pachehra was able to make his move over the ascension leg of the course.  His strength in climbing helped him closed the gap, passing Jarmal Carter (Columbia Hills), Marshall Shannon (HDX), and Owen Dubad (Marineris).  When he emerged from the valley, he was 6 minutes behind the leader, Raihaan El-Morad (Al’amal). 

El-Morad’s fate, however was sealed in the early morning hours when he decided to forego his running blades and leave them behind in his support vehicle. 

Once Pachehra strapped on his  blades, he was easily able to overtake El-Morad, beating him to the finish line by 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

This was a tremendous feat by the 40 year old Europa resident.  For the first half day, Pachehra was in the top 20 group, but by the end of yesterday he had edged up to 5th position.  

Pachehra’s actual path measured 185 km against the optimal computer model of 150 km.  His total elapse time was 18 hours, 45 minutes, and 45 seconds with an average speed was 9.9 kph. 

Once Pachehra cross the line,  the race automatically switched to the Countdown mode. This means all remaining runners have 10 hours to cross the finish line or face disqualification.  In this mode, the mandatory down-period is lifted, racers are expected to race through the night and do whatever it takes complete the stage.

At the time of this report, 18 racers remained on the course.  More than half a dozen with 70 km or more to reach the checkpoint.

Day 2 - Pre-race

Aquarius 19, 2077, m249

The sun has only begun to rise, but in the valleys of Noctis Labryinthus, it is dark.  It is still hours away from the race resuming for Day 2 competition, but most of the runners are already awake.

For most of these athletes, last night was the first time they had experienced sleeping in the great and dangerous outdoors.  After an intensive first day of navigating through and over the punishing terrain , we wanted to get a snapshot of what was going through some of their minds.

Rafeeq Afzal - 3rd position

• Age: 30
• Resident of Al'amal
• Birthplace: Earth
• Occupation: Engineer

What did you think of your first day?

It was absolutely exhilarating and terrifying.  It is familiar from the simulations, but at the same time, you can know and feel the difference.  When you fall, the way the dirt moves and you can sense the coldness.  I am acutely aware of the danger and I used this yesterday to stay focused.  I feel confident this morning and am going to use the same strategy.

How was your post race? 

Honestly, I was so exhausted.  Once my support vehicle arrived, I couldn't wait to set up the mobile hab just to get out of the EV suit and collapse.  That is why this morning is a busy one to go through all my checklists and inspect all of my equipment.

What is your objective for the day?

I plan on crossing that finish early afternoon.  At the end of each stage, we get to stay in a mobile facility until the next stage.  The sooner I can get this stage completed, the more time I have to reset for the next stage.  A shower would be nice.  A decent meal would be nicer.

Jonathan Himona - 28th position

• Age: 21
• Resident of Wendland
• Birthplace: Mars
• Occupation: Student

How do you feel the race is going for you?

I am in a tough spot.  I'm definitely in the middle of the pack, so a good 12km behind Shannon at this point.  I had a lot of difficulty with picking my routes yesterday, so I lost a lot of time doubling back.

You're one of the few contestants to have included exo-training.  Did your training include camping outdoors over night?

Yes, I did. I interviewed former runners and learned that sleep deprivation was a serious factor, so I did apply for permits to train and actually get used spending time in my support vehicle.  I think it paid off.  I was out like a light last night and now I'm ready to run.

Mathias Steinback - 19th position

• Age: 53
• Resident of Europa
• Birthplace: Earth
• Occupation: Education Programmer

How do you feel after your first day of racing?

It was more intense than what I was expecting.  about 2 hours in, I actually started to have doubts, but I eased off and found a pace that worked well for me.  I also think getting to higher ground helped me quite a bit.   Back on Earth, I enjoyed rock climbing, but doing it here is unbelievable.  I feel like I'm doing the impossible.

You are the oldest challenger in this year's Men's group.  How do you feel you are doing?

I don't think my age is a negative.  There are a lot of wealthy kids out here with fancy equipment and full-time coaches.  I would like to think that life experience and wisdom will play a part in getting me through this.  I set a goal for myself to complete all 5 stages... this is truly the most intimate Mars tourism experience anyone can have, so I plan to enjoy it.

Race Day - Men's Stage 1

Aquarius 18, 2077, m249

Men's Day 1 - Stage 1 - Noctis Labryinthus

Pathfinder Marathon officially began this morning with the men’s stage 1 challenge.

Over 200 spectators composed of friends, family, and media braved the journey from Mariners to the remote starting line at the western edge of Noctis Labyrinthus to cheer on the runners. 

53 men representing the top contenders from the 278 original hopefuls that sought the opportunity to pit themselves against Mars.  Having undergone 4 intensive rounds of screening and performance evaluations, today was when all the preparation suddenly became real. It was time to run.

Surprisingly, only a handful of Pathfinder alumni made it to this year’s race.  The marathon was born on the fringe, an exclusive sport to the nomadic settlements of VEX, HDX, RSX, and KMH. Yet this year, many of their hopefuls washed out in screening. VEX, who has produced the most champions in the sport's history, has only one representative, David Atieno.   Nicholas Buruk of KMH is the most experienced racer overall, having taken 3rd place in 2076 (m248).

Though runners like Buruk may have some advantage over other competitors, Pathfinder is far from a predictable sport. 

Officials estimate this 150km stage to take anywhere from 1 to 2 sols to complete.  The rough terrain and variable elevations present extensive options for  “finding the path” to the stage’s finish line.

From the starting line, it was clear that most runners were anticipating a lot of climbing.  The few that dawned their racing blades took the early lead, knowing that they would eventually need to dismount and carry the equipment for the remainder of the day.

According to Garin Papaviny, “The rough terrain increases the chances of breaking a blade.  Damaging running equipment this early would spells disaster as there is no way to compete in the running stages that come later.”

By mid afternoon, the pack had dispersed into numerous paths, but the leading pack consistent of Antony Wahlgren (Novyimir), Marshall Shannon, Hugo Kopperud (Novyimir) and Owen Dubad (Mariners).

Wahlgren later lost ground after making a poor decision that left him at a dead end.  Similarly, Kopperud required an extended break that saw him drop to 13th.

By 20:30, after 10 hours of competition, racers were instructed to rendezvous with their support vehicle to set camp as race-day 1 officially closed.  Runners made camp to take on calories and recuperate for the race to recommence at 7:30.

Top 3

•  Marshall Shannon (HDX)
• Owen Dubad (Marineris)
•  Raihaan El-Morad (Al'amal) 

Shannon leads the pack with only 56 km remaining between himself and the stage finish line.  There is more then 40 km between him and the last place runners, Mitchell (Marineris) and Samaan (Tiangong).

Marineris favorite, Dubad, is in number 2 position less than 1 km behind Shannon.  Dubad had taken the gamble to run with blades from the start of the race, a strategy that didn’t work  for others who failed to maintain the early lead.

“All things considered, I feel pretty strong,” Dubad said, “If we were allowed to keep racing, I would, but I’ve got a good 2 hours of work to get my gear ready for tomorrow.  I’m going to descend to a lower elevation in the morning and try to close the gap with Marshall.”

All 53 runners are still in the race.  It only take a wrong turn in the labyrinth to change the game, so it is still anyone’s race.

Coverage will continue tomorrow!