It is different. It is insane. Was I running in a dream? Why were trees talking to me? Why were the butterflies cheering and pacing? It took 75 Kilometers, 3,000 meters elevation gain, 11 hours 25 minutes, to become an ultra-marathoner.. I want to write it all out.. get a feel of what I went through.. the least I can do, is share it with you.. It all started while the world was sleeping.. Our 75K mountain trail ultramarathon began at 3 am. Each runner had a different pace and it didn’t take much time to separate. And so it was, just you and nature for more than 11 hours. How can I bring the mountain’s sacred sounds of silence to you? How can I describe the joy of running with and against the wind currents? Every micro detail was beautifully maximized yesterday. Sounds, we tend to take for granted, that we stop realizing, blend in to a harmonic symphony. Then, the pain, the hits, the slips, the ankle twists, all happened.. I had to endure more than distance.. a knee injury caused by a harsh slip at the beginning of the race. But in the mighty mountains, such stuff become micro.. irrelevant.. insignificant.. The mountain invites you to explore, to go on, to dream, to listen, to breathe, to laugh at your own madness, to tolerate, to imagine, and more.. How many metaphors ran in my head? A lot.. But, the one that kept on coming, was related to stones my feet were stepping on.. oh, that word, ‘stones’.. I want them to vanish elsewhere and stop hurting.. a prayer throughout the run.. I hope they vanish for good, mom.. I can’t possibly imagine what pain you endure.. you will overcome.. The ‘high’ feeling running usually gives is multiplied by a million during an ultra mountain trail. Trees became people. Rocks became water stations. You hallucinate. You stop seeing at times.. You do get dizzy, then wake up again.. You have to let go but stay in control.. It’s a long conversation with Earth surface.. You might feel I’m exaggerating.. but this is what mother nature does.. it exaggerates what we don’t see and feel every other day.. No matter how much I thank the ultra-marathoner hero Coach Ali Kedami, I won’t give him enough credit. This man is indeed a mountain. The most humble mountain you can ever live with and learn from. Thank you for being who you are (despite adding a surprise extra 3k to the route)! While I was approaching the finish line, I was dreaming of cold water and beer. I hydrated a lot but the noon’s sun was very heavy. I forgot thirst as soon as I arrived. That was due to a long hug with words of praise by my dearest friend and Coach, Ghassan Hajjar.. He made it extremely special and unforgettable. I owe to you for bringing dreams closer to reality.. ‘The mountain humbles you’ is not a figure of speech. Having lived most of my life in mountains, I truly believe it does. I wish one day Lebanon’s mountains stop being identified with religion and sects; but ultramarathons, races, trails, biking events, triathlons.. etc.. I wish one day we unselfishly live the magic of Lebanon’s mountains. A Max-Million thanks to every single organizer and volunteer of Ultra Trail des Cedres.. and a Max-Million thank you to Lebanon’s extreme sports icon Maxime Chaya for bringing this unprecedented Ultra-Trail des Cedres come to life and bringing more runners closer to the Mountain! If this was the most extreme and thrilling adventure I’ve completed, I wonder what’s next.. What do you think DOC? #FuckYouDoc

C'est à Rio, au Brésil, en 2004 , lors du Redbull Giants of Rio que j'ai rencontré pour la première fois l'extraordinaire et passionné Maxime Chaya, nous avons depuis développé une très belle amitié. Maxime Chaya dont le parcours est exceptionnel: sportif émérite, alpiniste, aventurier de l'extrême, premier Libanais à avoir gravi l'Everest, Poles Nord et Sud, Océan Indien a la rame, désert d’Arabie à vélo… c’est un homme à multiples exploits . J'ai répondu avec grande joie à son invitation au premier Ultra Trail des Cèdres qui a eu lieu au Liban et dont il est l'organisateur. Maxime Chaya a longtemps préparé cet Ultratrail et je sais combien il s'est investi dans ce projet pour son beau pays qu'est le Liban, ce pays cher à ses yeux. Rien n'a été laissé au hasard, une organisation minutieusement préparée, avec un respect total de la nature tout le long du parcours. Nous avons évolué dans un parcours riche et très varié, au milieu des emblématiques cèdres. Le parcours atteignant les 1900 m d'altitude. Cet Ultratrail a été l'opportunité de conjuguer le Trail et la découverte du Liban. Grâce à son invitation, j'ai découvert un pays d'une rare beauté, ainsi qu'un peuple d'une extrême gentillesse et des plus accueillants. Je te remercie mon ami, pour ton invitation, ton accueil, ta générosité. Ce séjour et découverte du Liban et son peuple restera un souvenir inoubliable!

L’autre chose qui m’a touchée, c’est quand je suis arrivée, je crois à la moitié du parcours, tu étais là et tu as pu remarquer qu’un de mes bâtons était brisé et tu as pris le temps de l’arranger et ça je te remercie infiniment pour ça,  car j’en avais absolument besoin , et je n’aurais pas été capable de continuer sans mes bâtons, surtout après avoir été blessée au genou. Merci pour cette attention.

Thanks again for the organisation of this superbe Ultra. Surely will be there next year to participate, along with other friends.

Thanks again for this great experience - good job performed! Hope there will be plenty other trails to come.

صباح الخير مشكورين ولا يهمكم بتسير مشكورين على حث الشباب على التدريب والمشاركة في التنافس على بطولات رياضية وتعرفنا على ابطال من بلدان صديقة ولهم كل التهاني كل التمني لكم بالتوفيق الى الامام

It was a great experience many thanks to Maxime, Ali And to all the crew.

Hello Maxime! First, allow me to thank you a Max Million for organizing such an unprecedented mountain ultratrail event! It was an incredible feeling to take part in this race and finish it! Thank you always for the genuine passion and incredible efforts.

Cher Maxime, Je tiens à te remercier pour nous avoir offert cette opportunité de faire ce magnifique parcours, qui était à la fois demandant et agréable. J’ai été impressionnée par l’organisation du parcours, c’est comme si tu lisais dans notre tête comment nous pourrions être perdus et nous n’étions jamais perdus , tout était bien indiqué. Bravo …/… dans ce parcours j’ai vécu de la joie, de la frustration, de la gratitude, de la peur, de la reconnaissance, des hallucinations, des douleurs … Presque toutes les émotions étaient présentes, mais c’était la plus belle expérience de ma vie, et c’était un dépassement personnel inattendu. Le dernier 10k j’ai été blessée aux genoux et j’ai continué le parcours à un pied. Mais c’était quand même agréable. Merci encore et bravo. Continue ton bon travail, le monde a besoin des gens comme toi. Félicitations

Hello! Failed to catch you at the end to say thank you and good bye. The efforts in preparation for today are very well appreciated and I’m sorry some people expressed things differently. I also want to say thank you for the encouragement and motivation you provided. This was one of the best things I’ve ever done. I can’t wait for the medal! Thank you again w ya3tikon l 3afe!

Really thx Maxime for the effort that u made to achieve this trail, god bless u and your family 2 And cu in a new achievements inshalla!

In 2010 I was diagnosed with stage 3 endometriosis. With it comes it's ups and downs. Instead of letting it get the best of me, I use it as motivation to prove to myself that I can overcome it and not let it defy me. Trail running allowed me to push my limits and showed me I am more than capable of conquering killer hills.

Once I discovered Ultra trail-running I was immediately drawn towards nature. So much that I want to move up here! Go Ultra!

I used to struggle to run 10 K on tarmac. Today, I ran a 22K Trail with more than 800 m of ascent and I feel great!