Marathon des Sables: Preparing For The Toughest Race On Earth

Two Army officers are preparing for one of the world’s most famous ultra-marathons.

The 156-mile Marathon des Sables is a six-day race in up to 50-degree heat across the Sahara desert.

One of the officers, Captain Kim Findlay-Cooper, is a doctor with 1 Armoured Medical Regiment, is among the few women to enter. 

She's running alongside Captain Josh Conway of 35 Engineer Regiment who is raising money for the charity Combat Stress.

The Marathon des Sables means Marathon of the Sands.

Around a thousand competitors have to carry six days of supplies on their backs.

Josh told Forces News: 

“My staff sergeant when I was out on Herrick 19 had a friend who sadly took his own life due to PTSD and he felt if he’d known about Combat Stress and their work maybe there could have been a different outcome. And when you get to visit the centres where Combat Stress are working and you see all the change and difference that they’re making to veterans it’s phenomenal.“

For both military runners, the biggest fear is injury but neither intends to fail.

They start their six-day test in the extremes of the Sahara desert on Monday.