The Marathon des Sables is known, somewhat dramatically, as “the toughest race on Earth”, running with all your food and kit for 155 miles over 6 stages through the Sahara desert in southern Morocco. You get a ration of water each day and some salt tablets to keep you going, otherwise competitors have to be self-sufficient for the duration of the race. 

 I have been walking and running over the Lakeland fells all my life (well since I learnt to walk). I have been fortunate enough to not need to call the mountain rescue but we all make mistakes and there is a chance, even if just as a result of sheer statistics, I may need their help and I would like to have at least helped them a little if that day does come. Either way, I want to support the men and women that put themselves at risk to come to the aid of people on the Lake District mountains and in this case specifically the mountains around Wasdale. Any donation would be greatly appreciated, and thank you for taking the time to read this.

If you're interested in following my progress, I am writing a blog [http://www.tomsmds2014.blogspot.co.uk/] following my training, and I will update it with my experiences from the race.

 More information about the race can be found at: http://www.darbaroud.com/ and http://marathondessables.co.uk/.