Andien Aisyah Tells About Her Younger Brother Participating in a Marathon in the Sahara Desert, Admits to Being Proud - Finished in 40 Hours 44 Minutes

Kapanlagi.com - Conquering the Sahara Desert, especially while only wearing barefoot sandals, is certainly unimaginable. However, Diego Yanuar, the younger brother of singer Andien Aisyah, managed to complete the challenge while participating in the Marathon des Sables (MDS) Legendary on Saturday (12/4/2025).

The marathon, dubbed The Toughest Foot Race on Earth, covers a distance of 250 km in desert terrain with quite extreme temperatures. This event is known to take place over 6 days from April 6 to 12, 2025. Through her personal social media account, Andien Aisyah shared the story of her brother's struggle in participating in this phenomenal marathon event.

It is known that Andien Aisyah's younger brother successfully completed the marathon in 40 hours and 44 minutes, covering a distance of 250 km. Here is Andien Aisyah's story about her younger brother who participated in the marathon in the Sahara Desert.

1. Prepare

Andien Aisyah's brother participates in the marathon in the Sahara Desert (credit: Instagram.com/andienaisyah/@diegoyanuar/@mdslegendary)

Andien Aisyah shared the story of her brother's journey before participating in the Legendary Marathon des Sables (MDS). In her latest post, this beautiful singer revealed that Diego Yanuar had asked for permission and prayers to join the marathon event since last year.

Diego Yanuar is known to have trained in various sports events, both running and cycling. One of them was when Diego Yanuar cycled from Amsterdam to Jakarta a few years ago. It's no surprise that Andien has no doubts about her brother's ability to conquer the Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert.

"At the end of last year, Diego said, "Pray for me, in April I want to run in the Sahara". With his experience running in the BTS 170K and cycling from Amsterdam to Jakarta a few years ago, I am not really surprised by his determination and ability," wrote Andien Aisyah in the caption @andienaisyah

2. Bring Supplies Weighing 11 Kg

Andien Aisyah's younger brother participated in the marathon in the Sahara Desert (credit: Instagram.com/andienaisyah/@diegoyanuar/@mdslegendary)

Diego Yanuar also brought some supplies of his own packed in a bag. Interestingly, the weight of Andien Aisyah's younger brother's bag during this marathon was known to be 11 kg. His bag contained all the independent logistics such as food, a small stove, a sleeping bag, and other personal needs. The organizers only provided drinking water and tents for overnight stays. Seeing this fact, Andien was amazed, especially since her brother had to run in the hot desert sand.

3. Marathon Without Shoes

Andien Aisyah's younger sibling participated in a marathon in the Sahara Desert (credit: Instagram.com/andienaisyah/@diegoyanuar/@mdslegendary)

Not just an ordinary marathon, Diego Yanuar participated in this event without shoes. He only wore regular footwear that helped him navigate the sandy terrain. In her statement, Andien revealed that for almost a decade, her brother has been training to run with barefoot footwear.

"But, is he really using barefoot sandals? Even though he has been running everywhere with barefoot footwear for almost a decade, the Sahara Desert is another challenge. But he proved it anyway," said Andien Aisyah.

4. Successfully Passed Stage 4

Andien Aisyah's younger sibling participated in a marathon in the Sahara Desert (credit: Instagram.com/andienaisyah/@diegoyanuar/@mdslegendary)

On the first day up to three consecutive days, Diego completed the daily marathon stages that were quite exhausting. The route faced was not only long but also full of challenges. Andien Aisyah admitted she couldn't imagine how her younger sibling struggled and managed to endure the extreme terrain conditions. One emotional moment was shared by Andien through a screenshot of a live YouTube stream when Diego successfully passed the halfway point of stage 4.

"It gave me chills mixed with emotion and pride, huhu I cried," she wrote.

5. Temperature and Terrain Challenges

Andien Aisyah's brother participated in the marathon in the Sahara Desert (credit: Instagram.com/andienaisyah/@diegoyanuar/@mdslegendary)

In her post, Andien Aisyah revealed that her brother also faced extreme temperatures and challenging terrain. In fact, the temperature during the day can reach 55 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, at night it drops drastically to 0-2 degrees. In several photos, Diego is seen filling water, pouring cold water over his head, and still smiling despite being tired. His spirit shines through in the midst of extreme conditions.

"According to @diegoyanuar, the desert has a different energy, it's very mystical. It's dry, with only sand, rocks, thorns, the sun, and the wind. During the day, the temperature can reach 55 degrees, and at night it gets really cold, 0-2 degrees," he explained.

6. Successfully Covered a Distance of 250 Km

Younger sibling Andien Aisyah participated in a marathon in the Sahara Desert (credit: Instagram.com/andienaisyah/@diegoyanuar/@mdslegendary)

Proudly, Diego Yanuar successfully completed the challenge in this marathon to the finish line. It is known that Andien's brother managed to cover a distance of 250 km in a duration of 40 hours and 44 minutes. Previously, Diego went through each stage consisting of 6 points.

"Diego finished in 40 hours and 44 minutes. But I believe his spiritual journey experienced during this race is more than just a record of time," wrote Andien Aisyah.

7. Proud of Sibling's Achievement

Andien Aisyah's younger brother participated in a marathon in the Sahara Desert (credit: Instagram.com/andienaisyah/@diegoyanuar/@mdslegendary)

Andien Aisyah expressed her pride and emotion over her sibling's achievement. In her statement, Andien mentioned that for Diego, running in the desert allowed him to discover a new perspective on life.

"According to Diego, "Running in the desert makes me surpass myself. There is a feeling where I feel very primal and ancient. It’s like discovering the essence of humanity that is truly created to run." It is not without reason that MDS is referred to as "legendary" because there is where the limits of human capability are tested, and the spirit of not giving up finds its true meaning," concluded Andien.

That is the story of Andien Aisyah about her sibling who participated in the marathon in the Sahara Desert. Follow the latest celebrity news only on Kapanlagi.com. If not now, when?

(kpl/nlw)