Man to run tough Sahara race for sons' school
Marc will run 156 miles (251 km) across the Sahara in six days in the Marathon des Sables event.
Dad-of-two Marc will take part in the Marathon de Sables across the Sahara [Marc Lockwood] A dad-of-two is taking part in an event dubbed "the toughest foot race on earth" to raise money for his sons' school. Marc, a 45-year-old farrier from Effingham in Surrey, will run 156 miles (251km) across the Sahara Desert in Morocco over six days in April. He will be one of 1,500 runners making the journey, carrying his own supplies and equipment in a backpack.
Marc, who is hoping to raise £10,000 for St Lawrence School in Effingham, where his sons are pupils, said "it was something that had been on my radar for some years". Competitors in the race must carry their own equipment for the journey [Getty Images] Marc said he had been running ultra marathons of at least 50km (31 miles) every three weeks since January to get his stamina up, with a friend who will also join him in the desert. He said: "I've been really lucky, I found a good pair of trainers straight away, I use blister powder and I haven't had one blister....
My friend, his feet are in tatters. " He described the Marathon des Sables as a "self-sufficient" race where you "carry everything you need", including cooking utensils and food. "It's only going to get lighter as the days go on," he said.
However, he said the heat had been something he had not been able to train for. Marc will be among 1,500 people taking part in the six-day event [Getty Images] The longest section of the race will see Marc cover 62 miles (100km) in 48 hours, with daytime temperatures reaching about 45C (113F), and falling to 0C (32F) at night. He is also making plans for his next challenge after the Marathon de Sables.