What is the Marathon des Sables (MdS)?
 

 

The Marathon des Sables is a multi-stage ultra-marathon. It is a 6 day/230km long endurance race. It’s run across the Sahara Desert in Morocco and takes place every Spring. You have to be almost entirely self sufficient carrying all your own food, cooking, sleeping and survival equipment. You get rationed several litres of water each day, handed out at stations and do get to share a tent with your fellow competitors as the end of each leg. The terrain ranges from sand dunes to rocky uneven ground and the day time temperatures reach 120°F. I have registered for the 2008 race, which will take place at the end of March 2008. More information about the Marathon des Sables is available at the following link

 http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/about.html

 

Why I’m doing it

 

 

I will be running the Marathon des Sables and raising as much money as possible for the charity Facing Africa, the official charity of the British contingent of the MdS. It is involved in the prevention and treatment of Noma (cancrum oris).

 

Noma is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face. The victims of Noma are mainly young children caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty and chronic malnutrition. Noma begins with ulcers in the mouth. If the condition is detected in the early stage, progression can be prevented with the use of common antibiotics and immediate nutritional rehabilitation. If left untreated, as happens in most cases, the ulcers progress to Noma at an alarming pace. The next stage is extremely painful when the cheeks or lips begin to swell and the victim's general condition deteriorates. Within a few days, the swelling increases and a blackish furrow appears and the gangrenous process sets in and, after the scab falls away and a gaping hole is left in the face. It is estimated that the mortality rate reaches up to an alarming 90%. Survivors can arguably be described as the fortunate ones. However, their lives will never be the same and they will suffer three main afflictions - facial disfigurement, functional impairment and social outcast. The scar tissue restricts jaw movement and a child who survives is unlikely ever to be able to speak or eat normally again. In infancy, some children lose their lips and soon die of starvation, as they are unable to breast-feed.

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 140,000 new cases of noma occur each year and of these, a mere 10% survive. That means that 126,000 die each year, mainly in sub-Saharan countries from Senegal to Ethiopia, a region known as "the noma belt".

http://www.facingafrica.org/en/default.htm

 

About me

 

 

I thought I best include some information about my running background and this years build up to the race for those of you who might be remotely interested. Feel free to skip over this section and head straight for the donations.

 

As a part time recreational runner I decided to join Benfleet Running Club at the start of 2005. Swept along by the enthusiasm of my fellow club members running became more important to me and started to play a much bigger role in my life. At some point late that year I read an article about the Marathon des Sables and thought, “How cool! I’d love to have a stab at that.” I duly enrolled for the 2008 race at the beginning of 2006 and roughly sketched out a two year plan. Last year I really stepped up my endurance efforts, spending hundreds of hours training, grinding out heavy mileage on the road, with lots of cross training on the bike and in the pool. Below details my bigger races as I continue to build towards the coming March:

 

 

Now's the bit when I ask you for sponsorship. And thanks for reading!!

 

 Donations

 

Please follow the link to sponsor me. Thank you for any and all contributions

http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/cgi-bin/fa.pl?cuid=136

 

 

 Links