Suffolk farmer takes on Sahara ultramarathon to raise cash for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices
39 year old Andrew Greenwell ran roughly 150 miles in six days
A Suffolk farmer has braved the heat of the Sahara Desert in a 156 mile ultramarathon thought to be one of the toughest races on earth.
39 year old Andrew Greenwell, a father of three who runs Capel St Andrew Farms, took part on the Marathon Des Sables (MdS) in aid of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The gruelling event takes six days to complete. Andrew managed to raise over £12,700.
“Everything went well but it was certainly a challenge" he said.
“The temperatures were extreme, even for the Sahara, and were often in the mid to high 40s.
“That made running, eating and drinking more of a challenge.
“However, luckily, I managed to avoid heatstroke and finish the race. The toughest day was the fourth one which was 90km and took me over 22 hours.”
MdS competitors run the distancts of approximately six marathons, while carrying water and their equipment.
“I've always done a certain amount of exercise and running, but it was nice to have a challenge to focus on and work towards.”
“It was a great challenge in a part of the world I probably wouldn't have the chance to go to otherwise.
“The most important thing, of course, was to raise money and awareness and I was delighted to support EACH.
“It’s such a fantastic, worthy cause and crucially important for so many families.”
EACH cares for children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions across Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.