Hong Kong teenager recalls Sahara Desert ‘Squid Game’ at Marathon des Sables – ‘people would fall in front of you, then they’re gone’
- Nicole Chik finishes daunting six-day race, which had its second-highest dropout rate ever amid extreme heat
- The 16-year-old ran with her father and finished third in under-20 category, but admits ‘it was a bit traumatising’
The recent Marathon des Sables’ attrition rate was like that of hit Netflix show Squid Game, said a Hong Kong teenager who took on the daunting six-day race in the Sahara Desert.
The famed 250-kilometre ultra-running event usually has a completion rate close to 100 per cent. But extreme heat caused nearly 30 per cent of runners to drop out of this year’s race, which ended on May 1.
“It felt like ‘Squid Game’. People would literally fall in front of you,” Nicole Chik, 16, said. “And when you walk, you would see people just lying on the ground and medics were just around them. And then the next day they’re just gone.
“They’re gone, completely gone from the whole entire crew. And some people just get eliminated.”
In some ways, it was exactly what Chik had wished for.
She had read about the 2021 MDS, where the norovirus wreaked havoc on runners and staff alike.
“When I saw it was just 50 per cent who finished that year, I just really wanted to try and see if I could be part of that 50 per cent,” Chik said.
It was only later she realised it was an anomaly year, but she was already hooked on the idea of completing the race.
Pair do 42 laps of Repulse Bay before work for Marathon des Sables training
Chik is not a regular runner. Three years ago, she ran 10km on each continent in seven days. That was one of her first running experiences, and since then she has done little else in the way to prepare for such a big challenge.
But that just motivated her even more.
“I wanted to do these big challenges to step out of my comfort zone, and do something that I wouldn’t normally do,” Chik said.
“I feel like that’s becoming a hobby though. It’s really addictive. You finish one, you just want to go to another challenge. You just want to get higher and higher.”
It would be hard to find many other races where temperatures soar to 50 degrees centigrade, however.
“I didn’t expect it to be that hot. There are some points where I just really, really had to stop. Like my whole body was overheating and I just couldn’t keep going,” Chik said.
At least she had some company, though, with her father Andy Chik Wing-keung running behind her as support. He had already completed the MDS twice, and was sceptical as to whether his daughter could do the same.
In fact, he advised her against signing up, but she went against his wishes without telling him.
Once she was accepted, he was obliged to sign up too, not just as moral support but also because the race requires minors to run with an adult.
To avoid any family conflict, he ran 25 yards behind her. But nonetheless, he was an incredibly proud father.
Andy said it was far harder to run with Nicole than when he did it himself, as they were close to the cut-off times each day. It made him “emotional” to see her go through the daily struggles.
Nicole was raising money for Hong Kong Dignity Institute, a charity organisation that provides social, mental, and legal support for vulnerable individuals in the city.
To Nicole’s surprise, she came third in the under-20 category.
“I feel really proud of myself. I cannot even believe what happened in that six days. I feel like sometimes if I don’t look at the pictures I cannot even recall what happened,” Chik said.
“It’s like I have just no memory of it. I think it was a bit traumatising. But I kind of enjoyed it. It’s really bittersweet.
“There are a lot of just heartbreaking things and scary things happening around you, but then at the same time, you’re also feeling really proud of yourself and all the other people who finish with you.”
