Mauro Prosperi survived nine days in the Sahara desert. Many athletes, hikers, and mountaineers get lost and even pass away due to various reasons during their quest.

Mauro Prosperi is a former Italian police officer and pentathlete. He came to highlight for disappearing nine days in the Sahara desert while competing in a marathon in Morocco.

On the ninth day of his disappearance, after traversing the Jebel Bani mountain range and hydrating himself at a pond, and followed a trail of fresh goat tracks with human footprints.

What Mauro Prosperi Had Gone Through?

Mauro Prosperi got information about the Marathon Des Sables through her long-term friend, Giovanni Manzo. He proposed to him that they could compete in a 551km race together.

“304 – Show-Off Time”

This week, Georgia covers the life and tragic death of Aaliyah and Karen tells the survival story of ultramarathon runner Mauro Prosperi.

— My Favorite Murder (@MyFavMurder) December 9, 2021

Prosperi found it interesting and started preparing by running 40km daily as a practice. He reduced his drinking water intake to acclimatize his body to feel dehydrated.

He set off for his first desert event, the first three days, he and Manzo covered 96 kilometers through salt beds, rock surfaces, and dunes. All participants started the race together.

Due to less number of participants, after some time, they got separated and started running alone. Prosperi navigated the desert on his way, along with his food supplies and materials.

He faced a sand storm and ran for 8 hours, due to sand he lost sight of other participants. Despite being alone, he kept on running, wishing to reach the trail as a determined runner.

When it turned darker he realized that he was lost. He then had to go through head, isolation, and dehydration. He had to drink his urine and bat blood to kill his thirst.

At some point, he wanted to kill himself and hoped somebody might find his body because he wished that his wife get his life insurance.  

Mauro Prosperi’s Survival Story & My Favorite Murder Podcast

My Favourite Murder Podcast is a bi-weekly true-crime podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. The first episode was released in January 2016. 

The upcoming episode of ‘My Favourite Murder’ will feature Mauro Prosperi’s survival story. It will share the ultramarathon runner’s shrine in the Sahara Desert where he took refuge.

The story is indeed interesting, while just an imagination of being alone in a desert could be overwhelming. Prosperi saw many aircraft over his head flying but was helpless.

More On The Athlete, Mauro Prosperi

Mauro Prosperi was born on 13 July 1955 in the Italian capital city of Rome. Before getting his graduation, he worked in Polizia di Stato as a crowd-control police officer.

He met his wife Cinzia Pagliara, at a pre-Olympic pentathlon event. Pagliara was working as an English-and Russian language interpreter. She was attracted to Prosperi.

The reason she admired him, was his positivity and enthusiasm towards overcoming challenges and obstacles at the event. Her definition of Prosperi’s attitude is right.

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