Gear for The Border at the Hell Race: what to wear across the Thar

At noon on 19 December, runners leave Jaisalmer and head west into the Thar Desert, bound for the Indian Army's Laungewala post on the Indo-Pak border. The Border, part of the Hell Race series, offers three distances: 50km (8-hour cut-off), 100km (16 hours) and 100 miles (28 hours). All three start in the same midday sun.

The conditions are specific. The terrain is mostly flat and dry, with strong headwinds common. The last 40km rolls through sand dunes, and the race page calls that stretch the main challenge. Daytime highs sit around 30°C, and the page lists night temperatures of 9°C and 0°C. A 100-mile finisher from the 2020 edition described sweat drying to salt on clothing, a cold night with four layers and a wool cap, and sand in shoes. Here is what that means for what you carry.

Sun: the first six hours

Starting at noon puts the hardest UV of the day on the first stretch, on a course with almost no natural shade. Two headwear options suit different runners.

The Shade is a sun cap with a removable neck flap: UPF 50+, breathable mesh panels, 100% recycled Taslan nylon. It has the feel of a running cap, so it stays stable at pace and in a headwind. Attach the flap for the first afternoon, then detach it once the sun drops.

The Solace is a wide-brim sun hat with a removable neck flap, mesh side panels and sunglasses slits. It gives the most shade of the two. It suits the 100-mile runners, the run-walk sections in the dunes, and the hours at the start and the aid stations. At 3 or 4 pm in open desert, the brim does more than a cap can.

The Solace UPF 50+ sun hat with removable neck flap — The Solace — the wide brim earns its place in open desert, where there is no shade to run to.

Which one for your distance

Your plan	Headwear
50km, running most of it	The Shade
100km, steady pace	The Shade, flap on for the afternoon
100 miles, or a long run-walk	The Solace for the day, a warm cap for the night
Crew, pacers, expo days	The Solace

UPF 50+ is a lab-tested fabric property, not a coating. It blocks 98% of UVA and UVB, and it doesn't wash or sweat off. It protects only what it covers, so sunscreen still goes on exposed skin.

Night: what changes after sunset

Temperatures fall toward 0°C. Carry a wind layer, a warm cap or buff, and light gloves. A UPF cap does nothing for warmth, so plan a separate night headpiece for the 100km and 100-mile distances.

The rest of the list

Headlamp plus spare batteries; moonset leaves the course fully dark
Sunglasses carried with you, not left in a drop bag, since the 2020 edition had sandstorms
Gaiters or well-fitted shoes, because sand in the toebox causes blisters
Electrolytes and salt, and at least 1.5 litres of carrying capacity
Drop-bag spares: socks, a warm layer, batteries

Check the official mandatory gear list on the Hell Race registration page, since the event page doesn't list it.