08/11/2025
If you’re preparing for a desert ultra, here’s a truth few talk about: you’ll spend more time walking than running.
Even the fastest competitors in the Marathon des Sables walk for large portions, especially on climbs and soft sand stretches. And yet, most runners don’t train for that.
For forefoot strikers, that’s a problem. When you walk, your heel makes full contact with the ground, and if that tissue hasn’t been conditioned, it’s vulnerable. That’s when heel blisters start forming, slow, painful, and impossible to ignore once they arrive.
Walking in training isn’t a weakness; it’s an essential part of race preparation. Mix fast walking into your long runs, include hilly terrain, and wear the same shoes and socks you’ll use in the desert. You’ll strengthen the skin, reduce friction sensitivity, and improve your endurance all at once.
Train the way you’ll move out there, and your feet will thank you.
Take a read of our blogs to get through your dresser run.
https://blisterhelp.co.uk/blog/forefoot-vs-heel-strikers-blisters-in-desert-ultra-running/
