The Marathon Des Sables is a 250km self-supported race across the Sahara desert.
Now with over 1200 entrants each year, the event is the biggest of it’s kind on the planet.
Participants usually train for months to condition their bodies and prepare for the race – but often other commitments and time limitations mean many runners turn up at the start line under-prepared. James Bowkett gives his first hand account of participating in the Marathon Des Sables, his first ever ultra-marathon, with less preparation than he would’ve liked . . .