FFor the last 41 years, the Dakar Rally has tested men, women, and their machines in the harshest environments our planet has to offer. A race once contested on two continents—from Paris to Dakar—it now takes place in South America and challenges competitors to navigate special stages using nothing more than a scroll of paper. Notes are laid out in French, marking obstacles and obstructions between waypoints, which racers must collect before ultimately (hopefully) crossing the finish line.
But the Dakar is not just about navigating the deserts of South America, or reading roadbooks highlighted in pink and green. Dakar breaks even the strongest wills. It destroys even the most robust equipment. The true test of Dakar is about one’s ability to endure. Can you continue, day after day, with only the thought of completion to encourage you? Because for most, to finish is to win. And the few that sit atop the podium at the end of the final stage, they’re an entirely different breed.
JUSTIN W. COFFEY
