The race is broken down into 7 days stages, each with a different mileage. You navigate along a set route between check points every 6 miles (10 km). At these check points you are issued with 1.5 litres of water. You are also issued with water before & after the race. During the event, in the desert climate it's essential you never stop drinking, to avoid dehydration, which can be a killer over there.

At the start of the race there were 27 entrants, from all across the UK & Ireland. The entry into the event was so diverse it was wonderful bunch of people. There were obviously the runners who meant business, and intended to set personal bests, and cross the line in as shorter time as possible. Then there were some that wanted to just cross the finish line - regardless of time. This even included an amputee, who'd lost his leg in the Falklands in 1982 - so no excuses! Ryan & I fell in between these two groups, as we felt we could do OK, but withoutmuch experience we'd take it easy.

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Here's the official race report from Sand-Baggers...

At 10am the fleet of vehicles was loaded with gear and athletes and the journey to the start line duly commenced. 20km of rough track and foothills later we arrived to meet the Mongolian contingent who had been guarding our water and supplies since early morning. At 1200hrs the 5th Gobi Challenge burst into life. Soon an early lead was taken by diving instructor Richard Gannon from Plymouth with the pack spreading out over the field and culminating with John ‘El Capitano' Mollison and Mark ‘Porky' Waterson. In no time at all the front runners were heading south into the Gurvain Saikhan mountains with the Yol ice gorge beckoning.

Into the gorge went the pack. While the front runners skipped, slid and tumbled over the ice with barely a break in stride, those nearer the back began to filter into the gorge and trudge through. First out was Richard Gannon who held the front as he ran the remaining 10km out of the mountains and over the finish line just over 3hrs 40mins. Last out were John Mollison and Porky displaying tenacity and a fighting spirit they would continue to exude for the next week.

The day, being overcast and cool, has been kind on the runners but the coarse terrain has started its assault on many feet.

Day 2. More gorges, 35km to Bayan Bag

Todays destination, Bayan Bag, was a settlement of eight families pitched on an unforgiving desert plain 35km west of current position. Between the runners and camp lie 20km of gorge and 15km of a flat plain. On paper it looks pleasant enough – some shade, a good chance of a pleasant breeze, running ice-melt…

Implementing a split anyone who took more than six hours the previous day kicks off at 0600hrs with the remainder off at 0700hrs. Once again conditions are favourable for the athletes withy plenty of shade in the gorge, a good covering of cloud and some splatters of rain. The front runners continue to power on with Chris Todd hot on the heels of Rick Gannon. Out of the narrow high-sided gorge they charge, up onto the plain and onwards for 15km to Bayan Bag. With competitive juices flowing Robert Holding picks up the pace and assumes a position behind Chris he will hold for the remainder of the week.

Meanwhile deep within the gorge it's an unpleasant 20 minutes for Dave Rowlands as his badly blistered feet are treated by the medical team with nothing but a scalpel, a bottle of iodine and their cunning to help him! An hour later we take our first casualty of the trip. Local girl Erbish is ferried in a semi-conscious state by safety officer Phil Briggs back to camp for medical attention. Within a couple of hours she has recovered but her race is over.

Over the next five hours the rest of the field trickles in for an evening spent with a Mongolian family who have played host to our event for several years. As we sit in their gers and nibble on their dried curd the familiar shuffle of painful feet can be seen around camp. As we prepare to bed down a cold front comes in from the nearby mountains leaving many people shivering, wet and praying for warmer weather.

Tomorrow is an ultramarathon day, just over 43km.

Day 3. 43km, Bayan Bag to Tohum Bag

The camp awakes to an ominously clear, cool sky and those in the know have little doubt the temperamental mountain weather is now behind us. Today will be a hot one which will take its toll on the athletes.

It's a tough start for Commando Joe's Dave Rowlands. His feet have suffered terribly and with little skin left on the soles he is withdrawn in pain from the event. An hour later he is joined by experienced ultra vet Mike Inkster whose body refuses to continue and who, after slipping in and out of consciousness, is withdrawn from the event by the support team and returned to camp. Just before the 20km checkpoint Jye Donaldson, despite battling on for several painful kilometres withdraws with an injured hamstring. The day is proving to be a tough one for all.

By 9 O'clock the sun is blisteringly hot and the competitors have straggled out along the trail. The Irish ‘Flagrant Vagrants' are feeling the heat but soldier on without any loss of speed. Team Rycote are maintaining a good pace although their front runner Giles Heeks is beginning to suffer from a toe injury. Near the back Martin like and Sue Kersley continue to maintain a steady pace with the duo of Porky and John Mollison battling on behind them. It's a tough stage for the tail enders although amputee Molly's only grumble is that he has sore ears!

As the day slowly drags on weary competitors continue to arrive in camp to rounds of applause and much back-slapping.

The day ends with plenty of tears, cheers and a look of despair on the faces of some of the athletes. It's been an exceptionally tough day with blisters, injuries and heat stress in abundance but most have made it in and morale is high. As the sun dips over the mountains bordering camp a fierce sandstorm picks up and the athletes take shelter in their tents.

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Day 4. 38km

Setting off from the oasis of Tohum Bag through a 7km stretch of gers guarded by snarling dogs the athletes soon spread out in characteristic fashion By the 10km checkpoint Rick is making steady progress closely followed by Chris and Robert who show no signs of slowing. Jim Main is going well as are Ian Couch and Geoff Head. Nearer the back the trio of Alex Latham-Boal, Jamie Balmer and John Clifford walk with arms stretched horizontally outward in a bid to stay cool. Behind them Pete Rowlands has taken over an hour to cover little more than 1km and despite a determined and courageous display he is withdrawn. Later he will reveal foot trauma which amounts to open, bleeding wounds leaving runners and support team alike amazed that he has been able to move as far as he has. It isn't long before he has signed the line to return in 2009 to complete unfinished business.

At 20km the pack begins a 7km ascent to the head of a mountain pass. It's always a tough section, sapping the life out of already tired legs. The pack slows but gradually the field appears, passes over the summit and heads north along the dried up river bed that will see them into the gorge which conceals the nights camp. It's a particularly tough stage for Team Rycote's Giles Heeks. As he limps up the ascent with his team mates Simon and Ryan for support he is forced to take on additional water at the 28km mark. Thereafter he continues to trudge through, a septic toe taking its toll heavily on him. That evening, despite the best efforts of the medic to hold the toe together, Giles is withdrawn from the race.

The night is spent in the most spectacular campsite of the trip. Isolated, wild and scenically spectacular the high sided ravine is home to Bactrian camels, snakes and all manner of birdlife. As the medics busy themselves from tent to tent a massive Egyptian vulture rides the winds high above. Tomorrow we will hit the dunes for the first time

Day 5. 43km, G-man Gorge to the sand dunes of Khongyron els

The day begins with a short dash out of the gorge before heading west into the sand dunes of Khongyron els. From there it's a long and very painful slog to our campsite near the base of one of Asia 's highest sand dunes.

The front runners take off strongly and show no sign of slowing. Once again Rick, Chris and Robert dominate from an early stage with a notable increase in the speed of Mark Waterson and Dave ‘Jammy' Hartley. The Flagrant Vagrants maintain a solid pace with Simon and Ryan Davies refusing to give up any ground as they follow behind.

Onto the dunes they go, climbing the first before taking the ridgeline onto the next checkpoint. It's a beautiful but very hot and windy day. At the back John Mollison battles hard, refusing to succumb to the immense physical fatigue the long days in the sun are subjecting him to. Ahead of him Martin and Sue are struggling on but for the first time (possibly in her whole life) Sue isn't smiling and we can only guess at the pain she is experiencing. Still, they come in strongly, shedding a tear or two at the finish line. Another successful day is in the bag. Everyone has taken the pain and remained standing.

Only two days now remain and with the massive sand dunes of Khongyron els visible in the distance spirits are, as ever, very high.

It's a busy night for the team medics as they struggle through the never ending line of foot injuries in preparation for the remaining two days.

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Day 6. 24km, Big dune day

Our campsite lies nestled on a stretch of desert plain bordered by a saw-toothed mountain range to the north and a ridge of huge sand dunes to the south. Immediately ahead of us lies the highest point for many km's, a sand dune which reaches hundreds of feet into the sky, dwarfing all else around it. As the camp crawls reluctantly to life Phil takes his position on the summit of one of Asia 's highest sand dunes in preparation of the longest ascent the runners have yet experienced during the week. With the sand offering poor footing it's a long slog but one that John Mollison relishes. Beating the field up he stops on the summit for a cigarette as he watches the rest trudge slowly up. Climbing serious dunes is all about route selection and it's a tough lesson for the Irish lads. Rather than take a ridge line up they ignore all features and opt for the straight line approach. It's an error of judgement that sees them gasping for air at the summit.

The day offers few surprises. Rick flies in with the rest duly arriving in much the same order as the previous day. Past the ger camps and camels they pound, arriving to the applause and cheers of those already in.

The setting is a beautiful one, 4 gers in a row surrounded by roaring camels and bleating goats. To the south the massive sand dunes of Khongyron els, Asia 's highest, tower above us. Known as the ‘singing sands', they make an eerie hum as the winds hit them and reverberate across the desert.

As people turn in for the night we are blessed with an amazing sunset and, for once, a complete lack of high winds.

Day 7. 8km, Dune Ridge Walk

The final day is without doubt the most spectacular of the entire event. With views toward China to the south, a 100km stretch of dunes to the east and mountain ranges in all directions the views are stunning. It's a short day but possibly one of the hardest. The climb onto the summit ridge is, in places, almost sheer and requires runners to get onto all fours and clamber as best they can. Several hundred feet off the desert plain, the climb is long and strength sapping. Along the ridge itself there is a real feeling of exposure with steep drops on either side. Runners summit over eight peaks as they negotiate the ridge which culminates on top of Asia 's highest sand dune.

At 10am off they went, straight up to the first checkpoint and then along the ridge to checkpoint two. It's an emotional day and one that sees Martin and Sue getting engaged on the highest summit of the event. As the runners come in to much applause kit is returned before a trip to a nearby ger camp complete with showers and a beer fridge. After the awards ceremony a goat is killed and cooked, washed down with copious amounts of Mongolian vodka. The night is an entertaining one with plenty of singing and an unusual display of naked Irish wrestling.