Grand To Grand Ultra

Grand to Grand Ultra is the first and only self-supported stage footrace in America.

However its uniqueness does not stop there. It is the first stage race to start from the awe inspiring north rim of the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and finish on the summit of the Grand Staircase, one of the world’s most iconic geological formations. The course takes you through a high desert landscape of sand dunes, red rock canyons, buttes, mesas and hoodoos. You will navigate compelling slot canyons and experience the remotest part of continental America in the way of the earliest settlers, Navajo and Paiute Indian tribes. This is where Montezuma’s gold is still reputed to be buried.

Observe nature up close in an environment rich in flora and wildlife – from unusual and threatened cacti to big horn sheep to the endangered California Condor, the largest bird in America.

Challenge yourself in the company of an international group of participants who are all eager to complete a world-class course, one which has been experienced by few adventurers.

And treat yourself to the nightlife of Las Vegas after you emerge from the desert!

And new for 2015, the Awards Party is to be held in a spectacular outdoor setting in a canyon near Kanab, Utah. To enhance the participants’ experience, you will have more time to get to know your fellow competitors and the locals you will have met.

Mohamad Ahansal

Meet Mohamad, a long-distance runner from Morocco who will be running as a Hope So Bright ambassador at the Grand to Grand Ultra Marathon from September 20th-26th, 2015.

Grand to Grand Ultra is a 6-stage, 7-day, self-supported foot race that spans 170 miles (273 KM). It starts from the awe-inspiring north rim of the Grand Canyon, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and finishes at the summit of the Grand Staircase, one of the world’s most iconic geological formations.

Mohamad Ahansal was born on January 1st, 1973 in Zagora, Morocco. Like his brother, runner Lahcen Ahansal, Mohamad spent his childhood as a nomad in the Sahara desert. For him, “education and experiences in the desert [have] been quite difficult. This is a very hard life, [which has] taught me to fight and persevere”.

Mohamed started running in another race, the legendary Marathon des Sables, when he was about 20 years old, and has since won the race a whopping five times.

Marathon des Sables has been crowned by the Discovery Channel as “the toughest footrace on Earth” and crosses through one of the world’s most inhospitable climates–the Sahara desert. In both 2002 and 2012, both Mohamad and Lahcen have been decorated by King Mohammed VI of Morocco for their performances.

In addition to his five first-place victories at Marathon des Sables, Mohamad holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the fastest crossing of the desert.

http://en.atlasmarathon.com/mohamad-ahansal/

Linda Sanders

Meet Linda Sanders, Hope So Bright’s founder and long-distance runner. She will be running as an ambassador for Hope So Bright at the 2015 Grand to Grand Challenge from September 20th-26th. She has been participating in extreme sports, particularly multi-day runs called “ultra stage races” since 2011, but has been an athlete since she was 13 years old as a girl in Mexico.

When she arrived in the United States at age 16, she started competing in bodybuilding competitions “winning a few times and losing many!” she says. After being disappointed with the use of steroids in bodybuilding, she began to cycle, run marathons and compete in triathlons.

A long-time advocate for children’s rights, Linda greatly enjoys combining her passions for running and charity.

To Donate Money

Please help us make a difference in our efforts. Proceeds will go to the Joyful Heart Foundation.

The Joyful Heart Foundation’s mission it to heal, educate, and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues.

Every year more than 3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving more than 6 million children. The United States has one of the words records among industrialized nations losing an average of 4 and 7 children every day to child abuse and neglect.

http://www.g2gultra.com/