A MELKSHAM man took on “the toughest footrace on Earth” for the second time this month, and has raised £2,500 from his Marathon des Sables expedition.
Property developer Nick Keen completed the 161 mile race to raise money for the RUH’s new cancer centre. He finished the Saharan course, described as “hell on Earth” by adventurer Ranulph Fiennes, in just over 42 hours.
It was Nick’s second time running the desert trek, and he was happy to have beaten his previous time.
Nick said, “The race went very well! I finished 437th out of 1330 starters which put me into the top 1/3rd, compared to the top half last time. My total time was just over 42 hours spread across the six days.
“It’s impossible to run the whole race due to the terrain, mountains, sand dunes, dried up river beds, very rocky climbs and descents and so on, so I just ran as much as possible.
“The weather was chilly in the morning, but the hot days reached 35-50 degrees celsius and were fairly gusty at times.
“My favourite parts were the stunning views from the three mountain ranges we crossed on the second day, and of course crossing the finishing line.
“I’d say my least favourite was probably the first day, which is when you realise how tough this event really is! The 92km long stage on day four was also hard, and being on the move through the desert in the dark.
“I’m happy with my fundraising for the Forever Friends Appeal because I can’t think of any better cause to support than the build of a state-of-the-art cancer centre, that will help transform the lives and care of so many local people in the future.
“Will I do the race again? I said never again last time, so we’ll have to wait and see!”
You can donate to Nick’s fundraising by visiting www.justgiving.com/Nick-Keens-Les-Sables.
The Marathon des Sables is a multi-stage adventure, equivalent to running five full marathons, through the formidable landscape in one of the world’s most inhospitable climates, the Sahara Desert. The race’s own website describes it as “the toughest footrace on Earth”. Started in 1986 by Patrick Bauer, the race is now in its 28th consecutive year and continues to grow in popularity, attracting only the bravest of challenge seekers.
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