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Irish in the Gobi March

All three Irish competitors in the 2009 Gobi March successfully completed the race. The Gobi March is a desert stage race of 250km in total that copies the Marathon des Sables format. although a smaller event.

First of the Irish home was Shane O'Rourke in 5th place with Diana Hogan-Murphy in 18th place and Shirley Potter in 33rd. Diana, who also finished the 2008 Marathon des Sables, was 1st in the ladies division while Shirley was 3rd.

This is a difficult race to finish, with competitors having to carry backpacks and supplies throughout the different stages. 

Many congratulations to the three Irish finishers who ran the equivalent of over 5 marathons in a week.