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Marathon des Sables: Sheffield runner on training for extreme heat

Mick Hall Photos Simon Shaw runningMick Hall Photos
Simon Shaw has been raising money by undertaking a number of running events

An ultra-runner set to battle extreme temperatures as he runs across the Sahara desert has said he tried to "cook himself" while training.

Simon Shaw, from Sheffield, will swap the Peak District for sand dunes during the Marathon Des Sables on 12 April.

The 42-year-old said he could not go abroad to train and instead would wear coats, hats and gloves while running to try and simulate the heat.

"I need to get used to the sweat", he said.

Marathon Des Sables is a 156-mile (251km) series of races across the desert, spread across six days.

Last year, temperatures topped 50C (122F) as runners dropped out due to the extreme heat.

Getty Images People taking part in the Marathon des SablesGetty Images
Temperatures during the run across the desert can be eye-wateringly high

Mr Shaw said he had taken on the challenge to raise money for a local charity after his mother-in-law died with cancer in May 2021.

He had tackled several long runs for Sheffield's Weston Park Cancer Centre, but "didn't want to ask for donations for something I'd previously done", like a marathon, he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew but I'll find out pretty soon," he said.

The challenge draws competitors from across the globe and is renowned as one of the toughest ultra-marathons in the world.

Being a family man meant many of his runs were at 04:00 around reservoirs near Sheffield, at temperatures far below what he would expect in Africa.

"I've been doing long runs wearing heavy clothes, waterproof jackets that aren't very breathable, hat and gloves, hood up, just trying to almost cook myself to replicate those conditions the best I can," Mr Shaw said.

He said he would be carrying his own water, food and an anti-venom pump just in case he is bitten while on the dunes.

"It's about giving a little something back," he said, having raised more than £1,000 for Weston Park.

"I know that in the grand scheme of things it's not a lot, but as a very good friend of mine always said, 'if everyone does a little bit, nobody has to do a lot'."

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