RacingThePlanet

They've all earned it - Rest Day! Today competitors had the chance to recuperate and reflect on the wild week that they've had. This is the final campsite of the race, so it won't be long until everyone goes their separate ways. It's the last chance to savor that camp life, chatting with newfound friends, tent mates, enjoy the camp fires and even play some football in the desert sand. It's the quiet moments like these that make us appreciate everything that we've accomplished!

Tomorrow is what they've all been working towards, Stage 6 and the final finish line! There will be a staggered start with competitors beginning at either 8:30 or 9am. If you will be attending in person, we strongly recommend arriving at the Tiger Reef Bar in Swakopmund by 9am so you don't miss anyone!

As always we will be live with GPS tracking on our website:
www.racingtheplanet.com/namibia

As Stage 6 of the Namib Race approaches, some competitors are already looking ahead to their next challenge—the legendary 4 Deserts Grand Slam (Plus).

This feat means completing four 250 km ultramarathons in Namibia, Mongolia, Chile, and Antarctica within a single year. The Grand Slam Plus adds a fifth race, the RacingThePlanet Ultramarathon, making it one of the toughest endurance quests on Earth.

Meet some of the “Grand Slammers” pushing toward this extraordinary goal:
🇫🇷 Samah Benmaad — raising funds for Second Souffle
🇳🇴 Odd Edøy — veteran of 55 ultras
🇪🇸 Fernando Llopis — racing in memory of his son Àngel
🇨🇴 Margarita Moreno — aiming to be Colombia’s first Grand Slam Plus finisher
🇲🇽 Stephen Patton — combining adventure with raising money for BANPAY RISE

🇦🇶 Next stop: The Last Desert, Antarctica — November 13, 2026.

It is after 9PM in Namibia, and all competitors remaining on the course are now moving by torchlight.

The good news is that the halfway mark has already passed, and Checkpoint 4 is closed! Karen Neubrandt of New Zealand is keeping the lanterne rouge today, accompanying the sweepers at the back of the pack. She has displayed extreme resilience so far, as has everyone as the sun sets on the first day of The Long March.

Nearly 40 competitors have now reached camp 6, resting and welcoming exhausted runners into camp. A long day turns into a long night, and the Namib Race won’t rest until everyone has come home to camp! Stay tuned for more updates from the field!

Top 5, The Long March
1. Kumagai Takuro, Japan
2. Leonid Kasatkin, Russia
3. Kawakami Koichi, Japan
4. Paul Redbourn, United Kingdom
5. Michaela Punz-Raml, Austria

www.racingtheplanet.com

The day has arrived—Stage 5: The Long March is underway!

Whether dreaded or eagerly anticipated, the legendary 75.7 km / 47.3 mi journey across the Namib Desert has begun. Leaving behind the dramatic Moon Valley, competitors now face a stage steeped in Namibia’s rich history of mineral prospecting and mining, passing quartz and marble mines and strikingly colored rock formations along the way.

This is the race’s defining test: hours upon hours on the course, with back‑of‑the‑pack runners likely pressing on through the night. Yet with the longest stage comes the greatest chance to climb the leaderboard.

Stage Details

Total Distance: 75.7 km / 47.3 mi

Elevation Gain: 789 m / 2,589 ft

Elevation Loss: 1,014 m / 3,326 ft

Checkpoints: 8 (including camp)

A long, thrilling day and night lie ahead. Don’t miss a moment—track your favorite competitors LIVE with GPS on our website at racingtheplanet.com/namibia/live

Namib Race 2026 LIVE - Update from mid-way through Stage 4:
Completed Stage 4:

1. Takuro Kumagai (Japan) — 03:36:02

2. Paul Redbourn (United Kingdom) — 04:10:01

2. Michaela Punz‑Raml (Austria) — 04:10:01

4. Koichi Kawakami (Japan) — 04:21:36

5. Hugo Weston (Australia) — 04:28:59

6. Leonid Kasatkin (Russia) — 04:28:45

7. Stephen Cunliffe (South Africa) — 04:29:02

8. Evgeny Dobrov (United Kingdom) — 04:30:36

9. Hsuan‑An Lin (Taiwan) — 04:39:35

10. Sara Schütze (Germany) — 04:39:49

11. Ross Jackson (United Kingdom) — 04:42:17

12. Wei Chen Chen (Taiwan) — 04:45:33

13. Jinwook Jeong (South Korea) — 04:49:20

14. Mirco Schütze (Germany) — 04:49:58

Tomorrow is Stage 5, The Long March.

Follow GPS Trackers LIVE at racingtheplanet.com/namibia

Stage 4 of the Namib Race: Moon Valley began just minutes ago at 8am! This one takes competitors through the heart of the otherworldly Moon Valley of Namibia, filled with strange rocks and lunar landscapes. Plenty of ups and downs while navigating the rocks, and then entering the Swakop riverbed to connect with the Khan River. It all ends with a cozy campsite nestled in the valley of the Khan River.

Today’s course is 38.1km / 23.8mi
Elevation gain: 673m / 2208.1ft
Elevation loss: 620m / 2034.1ft

Remember that you can follow all the action LIVE with GPS tracking on our website at racingtheplanet.com/namibia