Marrakech, Morocco— Saturday, Oct. 17, 1998 4 pm (Morocco time)

	Closing ceremonies

The Adventure of a Lifetime is Over

Today's noon deadline has come and gone with only one eligible team, Team Venezuela failing to reach the finish line. This team has survived the course admirably, especially since they included the event's oldest competitor. Ramon Blanco, at aged 65, is a legend among his many sporting accomplishments. He is the oldest person to have summited Mt. Everest and here in Morocco he has been standing his own against competitors half his age.

"Whatever these guys return home to, there is no doubt that this event will be remembered as the adventure of a lifetime, but with only a year to go until the next Eco-Challenge in Patagonia it will not be long before it's into long hard days of training once again..."

At 4pm today all competitors were treated to an official ceremony to recognize their achievments..regardless of where they finished. Held outside the Medina walls of Marrakech, complete with all the trimmings — dancers, musicians, guards of honor, and of course heaps of locals, each team member received an engraved ceremonial dagger as a memento.

An awesome gift but I am sure many competitors will receive strange looks from customs officials when they return home.

Tonight is the unofficial closing party, rumoured to be a pool party for 700 and then the mass exit from Morocco begins, as everyone returns home to their normal lives — families, work, one poor girl even has a major university exam in two days.

Whatever these guys return home to, there is no doubt that this event will be remembered as the adventure of a lifetime, but with only a year to go until the next Eco-Challenge in Patagonia it will not be long before it's into long hard days of training once again.

See you in Patagonia.

— Chris Vile, Mountain Zone Correspondent

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