Dubai: Taking part in what has been rated the toughest footrace on earth sounds very challenging and also close to impossible — especially when you’re carrying an eight-kilo backpack and running in one of the world’s most inhospitable climates.
But for two Dubai-based residents, it’s a mission to accomplish in order to help others.
The two residents from the UK wanted to accept a harder challenge following their previous 90km race across the mountains in Wales and participating in Marathon Des Sables to support Larchfield Charity Organisation again, which is currently working on an orphanage project in Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania.
The 250km self-supported race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco will help them raise funds for the project that has guaranteed to take care of up to 300 children, who have lost their parents either through disease and death, divorce or other incapacities to maintain the family unit.
“I wanted to do something beyond what I have done before. I was looking to see what the limit was. I chose this race because it’s supposed to be one of the hardest races that will last for seven days. It’s not only a huge physical challenge but a mental challenge, to be able to manage everything for that amount of time,” said Marcus Smith, 36.
Smith said above all the challenges that are expected to come his way, his focus will remain on how he can improve the life of Tanzanian children and secure a happy and safe life for them.
“There will be challenges coming our way because it’s not only about completing the 250km race. We will be reliant on what’s in our backpack, so if our water is finished before reaching the next checkpoint, we might get dehydrated and that might affect us for the rest of the race,” said Smith.
Tom Otton, 32, said he and his partner have been training for the last four to five months during the weekends and through the week in order to be fully prepared before embarking on the long race.
“We’ve been doing long runs, about 40km long, in Al Qudra and other deserts along with our running kits. We have also been doing core strength exercises at the gym and other exercises,” Otton said. “I’m a bit concerned about the temperature and other difficulties along the way but, hopefully, we will succeed and be able to raise Dh50,000.”
Otton said such races help a person learn more about how their body and mind works “and how far a person can push himself”.
“We’ve been also training on how we can sleep in the desert and to react mentally and physically to certain situations,” said Smith.
With around 1,000 people running in the same race, but for different causes depending on their choice, Smith and Otton are trying to keep themselves motivated as much as they can before April 5 — the day of the race.
They have tried to raise funds on justgiving.com before the race through separate fundraising events.
Started in 1986 by Patrick Bauer, the race is now in its 28th consecutive year and continues to grow in popularity every edition because it serves as a platform for all kinds of people to participate and raise funds for different causes.
