U.S. runner Tom Johnson went all the way to the United Arab Emirates to prove that when it comes to man versus horse in a test of desert endurance, man can win...barely.
Johnson beat al-Buraq, an Arabian rode by fellow American Jennifer Nice, by just 10 seconds in a 50 mile desert endurance challange.
Bothered by the heat and sand, as well as stray camels, Johnson kept his pace slow until the last few meters of the race, finishing in a sprint to pull in just before the stallion.
Al-Buraq was allowed rest periods and water as par endurance race rules. No one was on hand to make sure of the humane treatment of the human runner.