At 18:00 on September 9, Jean-Marc, a Frenchman, accompanied by his wife Tao Lin and father-in-law, set off from the starting point of the Tarim Desert Highway in Luntai County, Xinjiang, running 50 kilometers along the highway toward Minfeng County. “There’s some wind now, the sun isn’t as strong, and it feels quite comfortable. I should reach today’s planned destination in another two hours. I’ll get to the final destination, Minfeng, in seven days,” Jean-Marc said via a phone translation by his wife.
Running 70 kilometers a day across the Taklamakan Desert under scorching temperatures of 30 to 40 degrees Celsius is part of Jean-Marc’s adventure plan.
Tao Lin said she is from Urumqi and married Jean-Marc in Urumqi in 2009. The couple now lives in France. Jean-Marc, 44, has 20 years of experience in outdoor sports. In April this year, he ran across the Sahara Desert carrying a load of 7 to 10 kilograms. “Back then, I ran about 50 kilometers a day.”
The Luntai–Minfeng Desert Highway is over 500 kilometers long, stretching from north to south across the desert. When Jean-Marc first came to China four years ago, he had wanted to hike across this desert highway but was unable to do so. On August 30, Jean-Marc and Tao Lin returned to Urumqi with their 3-year-old daughter to visit family and finally realized this dream.
“He loves adventure and enjoys challenging himself with difficult expeditions,” Tao Lin said. For this crossing of the Taklamakan Desert, she and her father provided logistical support. They brought a gas stove, fruits, vegetables, rice, and water. Each day, Jean-Marc would eat a hearty breakfast and lunch, rest for an hour at noon, and only drink water, energy drinks, eat fruit, and take energy supplements to ensure his body gets the needed salt, sugar, and minerals.
“He rehydrates every three to four kilometers. Today is the first day, we started a bit late, and the temperature has stayed around 32°C,” Tao Lin said. They planned to start at 7:00 AM on the 10th when the cooler morning weather would allow them to cover more ground — 35 kilometers in the morning and 35 kilometers in the afternoon. Upon reaching Tazhong, they could replenish water supplies and refuel the car.
To ensure the successful completion of this desert trek, Tao Lin and her father drove alongside Jean-Marc. Tao Lin’s father said, “I’ve been here before, so I can help navigate. They’re unfamiliar with the area, and I’m not at ease. By accompanying them, I can oversee things and also enjoy the desert scenery.”