Mandje participated in the 2004 Athens Olympics as an athlete representing Equatorial Guinea in track and field.
In his professional career, Mandje also competed in the World Cross Country Championships and the World Trail Racing Championships.
His primary focus was on the 1500m race, which was his first love.
The strategy for his team, and most others, involved frequent runner substitutions and breaking the distance into smaller sections to achieve the fastest time for 500km.
This tactic was repeated for almost two days, with each leg being relatively achievable, but as Mandje experienced, it became challenging, particularly during the overnight legs.
Mandje, accustomed to racing the 1500m with proper recovery, found The Speed Project to be a serious challenge, especially during the overnight legs with accumulated fatigue.
The race took a toll on Mandje, forcing him to walk parts of the route after experiencing fatigue and stiffness.
The middle of the race presented the most significant challenge, as Mandje struggled with a 30km stretch and found the journey to be mentally and physically demanding.
However, he acknowledges that the rough patches were part of the beauty of the experience.
Beyond Mandje’s personal struggles, the race itself faced a crisis related to legal issues.
