AN amateur athlete is taking on an ultramarathon in the Saharan desert known as ‘the toughest foot race in the world’ in aid of three charities.
James Le Gallez – who only took up running two years ago – will be competing in the Marathon des Sables next April to raise funds for Jersey Hospice Care, Autism Guernsey and Guernsey Society for Cancer Relief.
The Guernsey-based operations manager with compliance and governance specialist Redwood Group has sponsored his four-figure race entrance fee, but he hopes to raise £10,000 for these Channel Islands charities.
The gruelling 250-kilometre and six-stage race, which is the the length of six regular marathons, takes place across the Moroccan Sahara.
Mr Le Gallez said: ‘When I first took up running, I never thought I would find myself taking on anything as epic as this, but you get hooked as you see your fitness levels increase.’
He added: ‘The training has taken over my life, but the support of friends, family and colleagues has really spurred me on and I’m grateful to everyone who is supporting me.
‘When I’m taking on the heat of the Moroccan desert, it will help to know that I’m doing it all for three extremely worthwhile charities that make a huge difference to Channel Islanders’ lives.
‘Having people relying on me will certainly help to get me across that finish line.’
Mr Le Gallez’s current training schedule includes long periods in saunas to help him acclimatise to 40-degree desert temperatures, hot yoga and layering up for runs to raise his body temperature.
He is also competing in several distance races in the run-up to April, and will trek the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in early 2024.
James Wood, chief executive of Redwood Group, said: ‘Both of these charities have provided immeasurable support to our staff during the most challenging times.
‘Autism Guernsey has been a great resource and support for James in recent times, while GSCR has provided help and advice to those sadly affected by a cancer diagnosis.’
To donate visit justgiving.com/team/jlgmds and follow Mr Le Gallez’s training progress via the Instagram account @fromtidestotrails.
