The Marathon des Sables (MdS) is a 6 day / 230km endurance race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco. I'll be racing in the 23rd Marathon des Sables in 2008, along with around 700 others, and the marathon takes place between 28th March and 7th April.  During the race, we competitors have to carry all food, cooking equipment, survival equipment, etc, over ground ranging from sand dunes to uneven rocky ground in temperatures up to 120 degrees F.

My "girlfriend-in-law", Penny Gibbard was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May last year, and thanks to the incredible work of Neil Kitchen and his team at the NHNN, the tumour has been removed, and she is on the long road to recovery. Her experience with this illness last year makes the MdS look like a walk in the park.

The National Hospital Development Foundation (NHDF) is the charity dedicated to raising funds for The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery which, together with the Institute of Neurology, is a worldwide leader in the research and treatment of brain disorders. These include brain and spinal cancer, dementia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and head injuries.