Abbey Tobin, lawyer and desert lizard

For Harvard Extension School JOUR E-100 Proseminar: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Journalism Interviewed and Written by Ong Chao Ying Eunice

SINGAPORE -  In her LinkedIn profile, Abbey Tobin from Britain is described as a leader in her industry, a finance lawyer with extensive banking, credit, regulatory reform and governance experience in both private practice and in-house counsel.  

Other than her proven abilities with words and wits, Tobin said that her feet have stood up to the test as well. 

True to her testimony, Tobin completed the Atacama Crossing 250 km foot race in 2023, with little more than four months of dedicated training. 

This means running a marathon for six consecutive days in an extreme environment, where the heat and altitude of the Atacama Desert means finishing the race is never a guarantee. 

According to the website Racing the Planet, the Atacama Crossing is a foot race that takes place in the incredible Atacama Desert of Chile, and is one of four self supported foot races in the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Series that leads to qualification to 4 Deserts medal and entry to one of the most elite clubs in the world. 

The photos in the website display the amazing experience where competitors traverse through salt flats, sand dunes, slot canyons and river crossings. 

According to the website Science, a leading outlet for scientific news, the Atacama desert has soils that closely resemble those on Mars, and it has sustained communities of microbes for over a decade, which brings hope to those seeking life on a hostile surface such as the Red Planet.

And for Tobin, the lawyer turned desert lizard, who has raced and overcame this inhospitable desert of Atacama, her story gives hope. 

“I grew up not as an athlete,” Tobin said, in a MS Teams video conference, on her origin story as an ultramarathoner.  “It was always studies over sports, and not so much health and wellness.” 

 “I actually got into sports after the children,” Tobin said with a chuckle. “You can read whatever you want into that.”

Most people would question the need to run a marathon, and Tobin said she previously felt that she never needed to run any further than ten kilometers. 

“Running is good for my soul,” Tobin said, with a wide smile on her face. 

Tobin said that 15 years ago she went with a couple on a holiday where the boyfriend was training for a 250km race in the Gobi desert. “I was fascinated by it,” Tobin said she felt at that time that he was completely crazy to do such a thing. 

“Fast forward to 2019.” Tobin said that her girlfriend from that holiday had done a race as well and that seeded a thought that led to her subsequent races.  “I just need a plan to do 250 km before I am 40 years old.” 

Tobin drew up a plan and started running towards her goal.  

Tobin said, “So I did a half-marathon in Cambodia. I followed this up where I did my first marathon, then I did a 50km trail run in New Zealand in February 2020 and that was also bonkers.”

The Covid-19 pandemic may be a distant memory now, but in 2020 it forced the world to shut down. Many endurance running events including ultramarathons were canceled or postponed due to safety concerns. 

Eventually the world recovered from the pandemic, Tobin was finally able to restart plans and picked a new race - the Atacama Crossing.  

But in 2023, her plans were further derailed by an accident which left Tobin recuperating on her sofa for a couple of months. 

Tobin said that in approaching any race, it was about how you organize your mind, how you look after yourself that is key. “Mental resilience. And one day at a time. You have to trust the process, and after I broke my ankle nine months before the race, that is all I could do.”

Hang Kok Chuan, a working adult and runner from Malaysia who has completed multiple ultra marathons, said training for such races requires dedication and self-discipline, in order to balance work and family responsibilities. 

Despite all the challenges, Tobin found herself at the starting line of the 17th edition of the Atacama Crossing, which took place on 24 September 2023. 

“I think I went into it very well,” Tobin said.  “My nutrition was great and my backpack was lighter than the recommended weight. It was about having my shoes right, footcare and the poles were those I trained with.”

Appreciate where you are

Tobin said that she chose Atacama because she loves South America.  “Never say never.  And the timing, September, worked for my schedule. I wanted to do something that was so far out of my comfort zone and unlike anything I had ever contemplated before - to see if I could. And I did.”

Many ultramarathons are held in exotic locations. Hang said that his running led him to the Turkey Cappadocia Ultra marathon in the beautiful Cappadocia valley, where he even managed to do a road trip with his wife along the scenic route.

The Atacama terrain is a remarkable landscape. Tobin said, “I was on my own and you get some of that perspective back. You are a tiny person in this big world, and yet I got myself there by these feet. It is also great for my girls to see that.”

Keep hydrated

Tobin may have made it sound easy, but this is an ultramarathon race and not a walk in the park. 

Conditions on the ground are a little like running with a hair dryer set on high, bombarding heat and sand in the face, while enduring salt and muddy water in ice cold conditions. 

Theresa Fernandes, an active athlete who lives in Bahrain where summer temperatures can average 40 C (104 F), said that one has to be careful and keep hydrated when running outdoors, and runs are usually done in the evenings when the sun is down.

“On the first day, the heat and the altitude got to me,” Tobin said. 

One struggle that stood out was when Tobin was stuck in a muddy swamp early in the race while the rest were racing ahead.  It took a lot of effort to wrestle through the swamp, and eventually through sheer will, Tobin got herself out, dirty and muddy yet undeterred.

“It was then I knew that there was no way you could prepare for what was ahead. As one would say, the best preparation is going once, you have to get to the terrain and feel it,” Tobin said she had to keep telling herself to put one foot ahead of the other. 

Pink flags lined the trail in Atacama to guide competitors and Tobin said her daily goal was to get to the next pink flag.  Tobin said the heat of the long day can result in confusion along the route, but the flags were there to guide and keep her going throughout the race.  

In this race, competitors carry their own load, which consists of a backpack and equipment that could weigh up to nine kilograms without water. Tobin said that everyone in the race would look out for one another in some way or the other. 

“You get a lot from the people around you. Sometimes, it is just learning to be able to lean on others as well.” Tobin said after a long day on the race, with one day reaching up to 75 km, she would get into a camp after midnight, and fellow competitors would bring her hot water and help out in practical ways, forgoing time for their own sleep. 

Find your reason for your race 

The best moment of her race had to be the time in La Valle de la Luna, the Valley of the Moon, which would lead into Stage 6, and into the final kilometers into San Pedro.  Tobin said, “It was dusty, and I was listening to Taylor Swift and singing out loud. At the last checkpoint when I got out, it was so emotional, it was a good moment.” 

“The 4 Deserts Challenge - I would like to do them all before I am 50,” Tobin said and gave a final piece of advice, “Anyone can do it if they put their mind to it.” 

Tobin has started planning for her next race. 

Tobin said, “It was an incredible experience, and I learnt a lot about myself throughout the whole process. Gobi 2025 here we come.” 

RACINGTHEPLANET