Some History

Back in the days when Chinggis Khaan ruled the world there was an obvious need to keep in touch with the various corners of his empire. So he took the existing ancient and rather small network of horse messengers and supercharged it, creating a mind-bendingly efficient relay system of horse-stations that enabled his messengers to go faster than the speed of light itself. With horses stationed every 30 to 40 km it's said he could get a message from Mongolia to Eastern Europe in just fourteen days which is slightly faster than the post today.

The Great Khaan's mighty postal system may have long since faded into history, but this year in the shimmering heat of the summer the horse-stations will be aligned one last time and gather 800 horses to create the the longest horse race in the world!

The Race

Having thundered out over the start line in Kharkhorin, a crotch pounding 1000 km will stand between me and glorious victory! Punctuated at 40 km intervals are horse-stations (Morin Urtuus in Mongolian) which I will have to navigate to single-handedly; there's no marked course and there will be huge stretches with no paths or tracks. There will be twenty-five Urtuus in total and they will be staggered at key points along the course, with each Urtuu manned by a Mongolian nomadic herding family. Each family will be providing the horses for one stage of the race, so when I come thundering over the horizon they'll be ready and waiting for me with my next steed. Once I’ve saddled up my new horse and set off on the next leg my old horse will then be returned to the previous post. This relay system will continue for the whole race.

Each Urtuu will consist of a small collection of gers (canvas and felt tents which the nomads live in), a large collection of horses and either one or two families. I have the option to stay at the Urtuus where there will be a Tsainy Ger, a tea-house, which will have local food, tea and a place to lie my broken body! I’ll be eating what the nomads eat - most likely mutton and fermented mare's milk! I will also be taking my own freeze dried food for the nights spent alone in the wilderness.