RacingThePlanet and the 4 Deserts

What is RacingThePlanet and the 4 Deserts?

RacingThePlanet organises multi-stage ultramarathons and the 4 Deserts challenge. The current four-desert set consists of the Namib Race in Namibia, Gobi March in Mongolia, Atacama Crossing in Chile and The Last Desert in Antarctica. These are distinct destinations and events; the travelling RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon is an additional programme whose location changes.

The full stage-race format is approximately 250 kilometres over six stages in seven days. Participants carry their own food, clothing and personal equipment, while the organiser supplies water, tents and event support under the published arrangements. Use the individual race's instructions to understand the precise equipment, travel and staging requirements.

The 4 Deserts Club recognises completion of the four-desert set. The Grand Slam adds a time condition: finish all four within a single year. Grand Slam Plus also includes the designated travelling RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon. These are separate achievements, and the existence of a race in the wider calendar does not make every distance or shortened format eligible.

How do I enter?

Choose the exact race and distance on the official calendar, then check entry requirements, inclusions and payment conditions. Compare the meeting point with the race destination when booking transport. Antarctic travel in particular is a different logistical commitment from an ordinary city race; the organiser's own itinerary should drive the booking plan.

The Last Desert has a qualification requirement: the published FAQ requires at least two accepted prior RacingThePlanet or 4 Deserts ultras. Confirm which completions satisfy that requirement before applying. The separate one-day Antarctica Ultramarathon is a different event; do not transfer eligibility, distance or completion assumptions between the two programmes.

What should amateur runners know?

Begin by assessing one suitable stage race, rather than committing to a four-event travel plan before understanding the format. Read the longest-stage information, checkpoint arrangements and required equipment. Consider the time needed to prepare and to travel, as well as your ability to organise supplies and repeat the routine over several consecutive days.

Practise carrying the equipment you intend to use and organising your food and clothing without a daily hotel reset. Keep a clear packing inventory and check it against the event's current mandatory list. Preparation is easier when you know which items the organiser provides and which must remain with you throughout the race.

What should competitive runners know?

Review the event rules for stage timing, classification, team categories and penalties before choosing a race strategy. Stage results and overall positions answer different questions; preserve the official final classification when recording the performance. A single fast stage does not establish the outcome of the whole multi-day event.

For an ambitious multi-race campaign, map the actual calendar alongside preparation, recovery and international travel. The organiser's current Grand Slam page advertises a complete programme for 2028. That evidence does not establish a four-race Grand Slam schedule for 2027, and this guide does not infer one from recurring events.

How do completion and rankings work?

For the 4 Deserts Club, confirm that the organiser has recognised your full-event completion at each of the four required races. Keep the race edition and official result with your records. Entering a race, completing a shorter alternative or attending the same destination does not necessarily satisfy the full-event completion requirement.

Grand Slam and Grand Slam Plus require the designated events within the organiser's specified single-year programme. Read the current challenge page before committing to several entries; a travelling race's destination may be announced separately. The final decision on recognition and any exception belongs to RacingThePlanet, rather than an independently assembled list of race names.

Planning your races and travel

Create an itinerary that includes arrival, registration, equipment checks and post-race travel, as well as the running days. Check passport, transit and destination requirements using the appropriate official authorities for your own circumstances. Keep important participant documents accessible during the journey instead of relying on a single saved email.

Budget for the complete undertaking: event entry, transport to the meeting point, accommodation outside the package, equipment and the time away. Revisit the current equipment and participant instructions as departure approaches. Treat desert and Antarctic events as different environments with their own mandatory lists, rather than trying to reuse one unchanged checklist.