RAF flight lieutenant conquers Doha Marathon in impressive time

A serving RAF flight lieutenant has conquered the heat of the desert and came first in the male open category of the Doha Marathon.

The marathon, in its 13th year, took place on 20 January and brought together 8,000 runners, including members of the British Armed Forces deployed to the Middle East.

The flight lieutenant, referred to only as Mike by the RAF, said: "Working shifts has made it difficult to form any sort of routine with my training so I've been running at all sorts of weird and wonderful times.

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"Being away from family, I've used the training as a good distraction and have been hitting 90 to 100 miles a week, my highest mileage in years."

He completed the marathon in an impressive time of 2:23:02.

Flt Lt 'Mike' is a Watchkeeper within the Combined Air Operations Centre, a role that involves tracking and supporting UK assets, and delivering on operations in the broader Middle East.

He was recognised by the RAF as a High-Performing Athlete under the scheme that supports RAF athletes to pursue their sporting goals while remaining in their primary role.

The marathon's 26.2-mile route took runners around some of Qatar's most famous landmarks and the race started early, at 06:30, to avoid the Middle Eastern midday sun.