The Big Off........all too soon - Drew Craig
Mar 2010
We wish Andrew Craig the best of luck as he prepares to set off on Easter Sunday to take part in one of the toughest challenges in the world to raise money for the centre. He recently contacted us with some updates:
"Well the time has finally come to grab my trainers, sunhat and bag and head for Morocco to participate in what has been widely acknowledged as being the original and still one of the toughest footraces on Earth!
On 4th April, Easter Sunday, myself and another 1049 competitors will cross the start line of the 25th Marathon des Sables. We will have 250 km (155 miles) of sand, rocks, mountains, river beds, salt plains and tracks to navigate over 7 days and six stages. Days one to three will cover around 30-35 km per day on what are known as a 'liaison' stages. We then have a two day 'non-stop' stage of around 80 km before an official distance 'marathon' stage of 40 km on day six. Day seven, 10th April, is the final 'liaison' stage of around 15 km to the finish line (fun run!).
This endeavour has been in planning for over 4 years but now (after several pairs of trainers; a knee operation; hundreds of training km on road, track and treadmill; a not-insignificant amount of kit and equipment) I have raised or have had pledged a total of just over £2,800 for my chosen charities: Help For Heroes <http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/index.html> and the Euan Macdonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research <http://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.com/home.html> . Thanks on behalf of both of these charities for your generosity and personally for all the words of encouragement and support. Please, if you have not yet sponsored me and you can, even for the smallest of amounts, please help me to support two very worthy causes. Every penny of your money will go to these charities as I'm self-funding my race fees and equipment.
I've been rushed off my feet and haven't had the chance to update my website <http://www.rocklore.co.uk/mds_index.htm> with details but will do so upon my return with photos of the event and a diary of my experiences (http://www.rocklore.co.uk/mds_index.htm).
CRAIG, ANDREW, #813
As a good friend has reminded me, "Pain is just weakness leaving the body".
