TWO local runners raised a combined £14,000 for charity when they battled extreme conditions in the ‘hardest ever’ Marathon des Sables – a 161-mile race across the Sahara desert.
Blistering heat, blistering feet, and relentless mental and physical strain were the order of the day for Andrew Barr-Sim and Ash Sinfield, when they took on the self-dubbed ‘world’s toughest foot race’. The pair spent six days trekking through the desert, taking on at least a marathon a day, with both of them coming close to defeat during the ordeal.
Ash, from Mells, took on the race for the first time this year.
She told Frome Times last week, “The race was the most incredible experience, and there were some real highs as well as some terrible dark moments when I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish.
“It was far, far tougher than I had expected and daytime temperatures were around 40 degrees each day. The first three days I managed to finish each of my marathons in around eight hours, but when the double-marathon day arrived, it took me 26 hours to finish.
“The final marathon day was the most painful as my feet were very blistered and swollen by this point and it took me ten hours to complete.
“My favourite part was the early hours of the morning on the long day; the stars were incredible and the air was cool so I could move faster through the desert.
“The most difficult was the final marathon day when my body was so exhausted. I walked that day with a man called Chris and we kept each other going by telling each other stories. I learnt a lot about myself and how strong the mind is.
“There is something to be said for taking yourself out of the day-to-day and pushing your body and mind to the brink of what is humanly possible. It puts a lot of stuff into perspective
“It is astounding how the human body has the capacity to recover overnight to allow you to go again and again and again. This race is definitely not for the unprepared or faint-hearted but I am ecstatic that I completed it and I will have the memories to last me for a life time.”
1,108 people started this year’s race and 973 finished – the drop-out rate of 12% was double the usual average.
Andrew, from Frome, this year took part for the third time.
He said, “From the organisers to regular runners, all have claimed it was the hardest MDS ever due to the wind, the largest inclusion of sand into the route, the longest distance ever and of course the heat.
“It was brutal and I went to a couple of dark mental places on occasions where I hope never to visit again.
“On day one and the longest and biggest section of dunes, 89 people did not make the first check point on time. The organisers had to extend the cut off by another hour, one person was helicoptered straight out after six miles.
“From that check point onwards it was into sand storms. I ended up very dehydrated and in the medical tent at the last check point of the day, with a time penalty of 30 minutes for more water.
“Apparently my lips were white, eyeballs on the spin and I kept being asked if I was peeing blood. I had simply gone off too fast and frankly I should have known better.
“It set me back but I managed to get things going again on day two. By day four and the double marathon stage, which I did in 19 hours, I was able to start climbing back up the table.
“Overall I came 608th – not too shabby but, for the third time, short of the top half.”
Ash and Andrew both passed their sponsorship targets and together raised over £14,300 for charity.
Ash’s sponsor money, which amounted to over £8,600, will go to RESTART AFRICA, a charity which homes and schools homeless children in Kenya.
Andrew raised just over £5,600, and will donate it to Marie Curie, which took care of his late father during his illness.
