Marathon Des Sables to use SPOT Gen3 for new events

Dublin, Ireland (September 18th, 2017) – Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc. (NYSE American: GSAT) and the leader in satellite messaging and emergency notification technologies announced today that it has extended its support of the MARATHON DES SABLES (MDS) for an additional three years. As part of the deal, over 1,450 athletes competing in all MDS events and sister events, RAID AMAZONES, will carry SPOT Gen3® devices for safety and tracking.

Since 2015, MDS organisers have used SPOT Gen3 to track and safeguard participants competing in the world-famous footrace across the Sahara desert in Morocco. This year, MDS has expanded its reach beyond this flagship race to a series of international events. In 2017, MDS will use SPOT Gen3 at its new events in Fuerteventura and Peru. Over the last three MDS races in Morocco, no fewer than 45 competitors were rescued within minutes thanks to SPOT.

Held for over 32 years, MDS has rightfully been dubbed “The World’s Toughest Foot Race”, annually testing extreme athletes with a gruelling, multi-stage challenge of strength and endurance. The full events comprise of six marathons in six days, covering over 250km, with athletes carrying all their essential supplies except for water and a tent.

The Fuerteventura event will have a similar format to the full events but will be held over three days across 120km and is called the Half MARATHON DES SABLES (HMDS). At each event, MDS officials will use SPOT to monitor the location of athletes and in the event of an emergency, to coordinate support teams including security and medical vehicles, helicopters and even a camel.

RAID AMAZONES is a female-only event with 140 teams taking part in different sporting trials over six days. Now in its 16th year, two upcoming RAIDS are taking place in Cambodia. The decision by the RAID organisers to introduce the rugged and lightweight SPOT satellite trackers will ensure all athletes can stay connected with officials during the event, and, should emergency help be needed, officials will be alerted instantly.

During the RAID, every morning for six days, 370 women will set off on different sporting trials: a foot race, mountain biking, canoeing, orienteering and archery. “SPOT devices and the Globalstar satellite network have an unbeatable reputation for reliability and reach. The AMAZONES taking part in RAIDs will benefit from SPOT’s accurate tracking and S.O.S. function while their families and friends around the world can keep up with their progress in real-time online despite being thousands of miles away,” commented Nicole Ribera, RAID AMAZONES.

For both RAID and MDS events, SPOT partner, WAA Tracking, will process the tracking data from the SPOT devices and enable family, sponsors and supporters to follow the race live and to track the performances of their favourite athletes.

Upcoming MDS and RAID AMAZONES events using SPOT Gen3 are:

• A new HMDS in Fuerteventura, 25th – 30th September 2017
• A new MDS race in the Ica Desert, Peru, 26th November – 6th December 2017
• RAID AMAZONES, 1st – 11th December 2017 in Cambodia
• RAID AMAZONES, 4th – 14th March 2018 in Cambodia
• MDS Morocco, 6th – 16th April 2018

“We are delighted to once again partner with the MDS and now, RAID AMAZONES. It is testament to the reliability of our satellite network and the value of our technology that these prestigious events rely on SPOT,” commented Gavan Murphy, Director of Marketing EMEA at Globalstar.

“SPOT Gen3 has cemented its position as a critical piece of equipment for extreme races in all corners of the world. The affordability of the service and lightweight, robust design of the devices makes it an obvious choice when competitors are battling exhaustion and heat in remote regions with limited communications,” Murphy added.