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13
Feb
Harrogate man to embark on brutal Saharan race that has claimed three lives
A Harrogate man will embark on a brutal race through the Sahara desert this year which could kill him.
Charlie Parish, from the Leeds Road area of Harrogate, is training for the Marathon des Sables in April.
The Marathon des Sables is a 250-kilometre ultra-marathon that stretches through the southern Moroccan Sahara. It is split into six stages across seven days which can be completed either by walking or running.
The Sahara is one of the hottest places on earth. Temperatures often rise above 50 degrees celsius.
Participants must carry all of their gear and food, and time penalties are applied for receiving aid. This includes aid for medical emergencies such as heat stroke.
The race is widely regarded as one of the world’s toughest endurance races. Three people have died during this challenge, the most recent in 2021.
The Stray Ferret spoke to Charlie Parish, who explained why he had chosen this challenge:
I suppose it’s a perverse sense of finding where the limit is. It’s all based on what I can do or achieve. I want to see what I’m capable of and what my body is capable of.
I’ve completed marathons and an Ironman amongst other challenges in the past, but this is by far the hardest physical and mental challenge to date.
I just think: Why else are we here? We’re only here once, so why not push ourselves? I’m a massive believer that anyone can do anything they put their mind to.
Charlie Parish training with the backpack he will be wearing throughout the challenge
Charlie said running has never actually been something he enjoys. He explained his bigger build is less suited for long distance running, but that the challenges he chooses “always seem to come back to running".
'The biggest risk is heatstroke'
Charlie ran the Endure 24 in Leeds a few years ago, a 24-hour running challenge in which you complete as many laps of an 8km course as possible. He racked up 55 miles in that time, and said it was one of the most mentally challenging events he’s done.
He spoke about the mental aspect of these types of running challenges, and how he was preparing for an intense physical and mental battle in Morocco in April.
He said:
I started training for it in November, building my mileage every week. I ran just shy of 100k over the course of last week, completing a marathon on Saturday and a half marathon the day after.
This is my first time doing a challenge in such extreme conditions. The biggest risk is getting heatstroke. The event penalises you around two hours if you need to be put on a drip for it, so I’m hoping that doesn’t happen!
I’ve booked six sessions at the Leeds Beckett heat acclimation room the week before so that my body can get used to the heat before I start.
My biggest concern is the unknown of how my body is going to react to the conditions. I am interested to see how I react mentally if something goes wrong though.
At the end of each stage, large Berber tents are erected for participants to sleep, eat, and socialise in.
In contrast to the extreme daytime heat, the temperature can plummet to sub-zero at night.
Berber tents are open sided, so Charlie will be exposed to both extreme heat and extreme cold during the event.
The Berber tents that Charlie will be sleeping under
Charlie has chosen to represent the mental health charity CALM — a cause he says is close to his heart:
I’m very lucky to say that I don’t have any real connections to charity. Normally I shy away from the added attention of raising money during my events, but I wanted to use the publicity of this one to raise awareness for CALM.
Mental health is something I’ve struggled with in the past, and I’ve seen first-hand how difficult it can be for men to talk about it.
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