Several months ago, a question from my (very patient and forgiving!) wife:

"Sam, what would you like for your 50th in February 2026?"

Me: "Well...what I'd really like...is to go back to the desert."

Yes, to celebrate my 50th, I've chosen to spend seven days running 250km (155 miles) across the sand dunes of the Sahara, carrying all my food and kit, in temperatures of up to 50C (122F), for the 40th edition of the Marathon de Sables.

https://marathondessables.com/en/event/mds-legendary-2026

Why? Partly, I confess, to see if I can finish higher at 50 than in my previous MdS aged 36 - 163rd, if you're curious ;-)

But my main reason is to raise sponsorship for Media Trust, where I am proud to be a trustee. Media Trust is a fabulous charity that gives small charities a stronger voice through training in marketing, and also helps diverse talent break into the industry. You can read more about Media Trust's work and impact here:

https://mediatrust.org/about-us/

All donations go directly to Media Trust. So please do help them, and motivate me to keep going for a painful week in the scorching Sahara (5-11 April 2026) - thank you!

Happy running!

Sam