Six years after taking on the 200km Jungle Marathon in Brazil and a few other events in-between, we are about to set off on a new ‘bucket list’ challenge.

 

We are taking on the mighty Marathon des Sables (MDS), in the Moroccan Sahara in April. The race is a grueling multi-stage footrace that covers approximately 250km of formidable terrain over the course of a week. (That’s the equivalent of five-and-a-half marathons.)

 

The MDS is broken down as follows: Days 1 to 3 have average distances of 35 kilometers but Day 4 will demand us to cover over 80 kilometers through the day and into the night. Day 5 is a rest day and then Days 6 and 7 are 42km and 21k respectively.

 

Bivouacs are set up at the end of each day and we will be split into groups of eight to become ‘bivvy’ families for the duration of the event.

 

To add to the endurance of the Western Sahara, the event is a self-sufficient race meaning that we must carry everything we need for the week in our packs.  So aside from the regular water stations every 10km’s or so, we must carry our own food, sleeping bags, medical kits and compulsory items for the entire week on our backs. Our packs will weigh approx. 10kgs at the start of the event but will reduce by about ½ kg each day as our food is eaten.

  

We are running for charities Headway Guernsey and Children with Cancer UK, which are charities we have supported for several years.  We have raised significant funds in the past and would hope to raise significant funds for both this time.