Paracas (Peru) (AFP)

No soul alive. But a dazzling playground for convicts of the desert: sand dunes as far as the eye could see stretched over 500 runners without food assistance for four days in southern Peru.

It was in the region of Ica, on the land of the Incas, that the adventure was played. Some 530 fans of the race in extreme environments have embarked on the Half Marathon of the Sands, a trip in three stages of food self-sufficiency, barda on the back and under a blazing sun.

With one of the three 95-kilometer stages, a total of 2,500 meters of positive elevation had to be faced by the participants, one-third of whom were women. One of them was the French swimming icon Laure Manaudou, Olympic champion in 2004 and retired from the pools since 2013, who went out of her way to succeed with two friends.

The competitors found themselves at the other end of the world, on a desert beach, where only a few carcasses of birds and sea lions were proof of life on this part of the earth.

Trail junkies have had a tough race, almost disconnected from the world - they only had 20 minutes of connection a day.

On the evening of their arrival, the runners settled in black and yellow tents of three to four people, planted on a huge beach, bordering the Pacific Ocean. Not really want to go swimming in water at 14 degrees but a real pleasure to fall asleep with the sound of the waves, after a welcome meal.

In the early morning, the next day, serious things began. After folding their belongings, competitors left their makeshift nest, sleeping bag and food on their backs. Only water is provided at the various supply points.

And it left for several tens of kilometers to run in the sand, equipped for some telescopic sticks, under 34 degrees. Footprints that penetrate the gray sand, canyon and rockery. The decor is amazing.

And then there is this dune, particularly imposing, obligatory passage on two of the three stages. Some had to get down on all fours to pass this long difficulty with an abrupt end. They jumped, jumped and sank at mid-calf.

Exhausted at the end of their journey, they returned to the tent, exchanging with their galley partners in a particularly warm atmosphere. The sporting feat is not far.

© 2019 AFP