Click on any of the images to zoomBTE Systems’ fire engineer Jason Burke has completed the toughest foot face on Earth, the Marathon des Sables (or Marathon of the Sands) – a 155-mile race across the Sahara desert – and raised £2695 for the Fire Fighters Charity.
The seven day race covers the equivalent distance of 5.5 marathons, and temperatures reached a scorching 51C, with 64 of the 847 runners failing to make the distance.
Unlike previous years, there were no fatalities in the race, however one man is in a coma following a heart attack, and Jason urged wellwishers to “remember him in your prayers.”
After finishing 395th of the 847 starters, he paid tribute to some of the extraordinary feats of endurance witnessed in the desert.
“The first retiree from the race dropped out in the first mile… However I also saw people still moving in incredible pain with broken ankles and people with such blistered feet that they won’t be walking for weeks after the event.
“The race leader on day four had to drop out due to his back going into spasm (he was in excruciating pain) less than 1 mile from the stage 4 finish, he is also still in hospital.
“Over the course of the event I consumed 3000-3500 calories a day, which I had to carry on my back throughout the race, I also got through a massive 72 litres of water (the maximum permitted without incurring time penalties).”
Competitors have to carry everything they will need on their backs for the duration of the race, with the exception of their tent and daily water allowance. At the start of the week then Jason was carrying 11kg, the majority of which was food.
He did allow himself some comforts though: “You run all 155 miles in the same clothes all week, but I did allow myself the luxury of two pairs of socks.”
Weather conditions fluctuated wildly with the hottest day reaching 51C, and the coldest ushering in a freak storm with high winds, thunder, lightning, rain and hail – in the Sahara desert.
Jason described how the longest day – day four – covered 50 miles and he started at 8.30am and finished the following morning at 2am. Organisers then flew in 15 members of the French Philharmonic Orchestra.
“In amongst the dunes with sun setting behind, they played the sweetest music I’ve ever heard.”
By finishing the race, Jason secured £2695 for the Fire Fighters Charity with money going to help provide rehabilitation sessions for injured firefighters at their centres in Devon, Cumbria and West Sussex.
“The race has taught me that that even when something seems impossible, if you have the passion, will and desire to do something, you will achieve it. Throughout the race I experienced and witnessed great pain and suffering, but when faced with such adversity I saw how this brought all the runners together, everyone had one common goal, to finish.
“I witnessed and experienced great kindness and support for others, and incredible determination of people who wanted to finish more than they wanted to stop.”
