As an example of what lies beyond the starting line, the longest single stage in 2012 was 51 miles (81.5km). Typical distances are 156 miles (251 km) broken down as follows:

Day 1 - 33.8 km

Day 2 - 38.5 km

Day 3 - 35 km

Day 4 - 81.5 km

Day 5 - 42.2 km

Day 6 - 15.5 km

Many of you are familiar with me running marathons, well it's time for change, no more single maratahons on tarmac - how about 6 marathons back to back in the heat of the Sahara?  read on...

You will all be pleased to hear that I have managed to secure a place in the Marathon Des Sables 2013 - the toughest footrace on earth.  The event takes place in the Sahara desert the perfect location for this punishing ultra-marathon, whilst raising vital money and awareness for UK Spinal Cord Injury cure research charity, Walkoncemore. This will be a punishing event, but I’m really looking forward to the challenge and hoping that you’ll all get behind our team as we prepare for this evil nasty.

The event is a six-day, 254 km (156 mile) ultra-marathon, and the equivalent to six regular marathons completed with my kit on my back for the entire route, the MdS really is the toughest footrace on Earth.  It still doesn’t compare to how tough daily life is for millions of people around the world after falling victim to a Spinal Cord Injury.  With each unforgiving mile of the course, I am aiming to raise as much money and awareness as possible towards a cure for this debilitating condition.

In an instant, a paralysing Spinal Cord Injury robs the victim and their loved ones of so much. As things stand, once a person suffers damage to their spinal cord, it’s permanent and the individual is usually left having to live with severe disability through paralysis. The research that Walkoncemore supports will make this a thing of the past before long. New and old injuries will become temporary, allowing the person affected to regain full mobility. Funds raised go only to the brightest minds in the field who are working tirelessly to make this happen as soon as possible.

Any one of us can be affected at any time by this catastrophic injury, so you could say that the work of the charity is a bit of an insurance policy for us all. With that in mind, please dig deep! Every little bit really does help, and will propel me round this difficult course. I am looking to raise a minimum of £7,000, but I may even exceed this with your kindness and generosity!