A Harrogate runner is taking on the so-called 'Toughest Foot Race on Earth' in the Sahara desert - where temperatures can go as high as 50C.
Charlie Parish, 36, is running the legendary 252 kilometre Marathon des Sables over seven brutal days in one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet to raise money for a mental health charity.
Competitors in the annual ultramarathon in Morocco's Sahara desert have to carry all their food and water as they contend with sandstorms and searing heat during the day, while sleeping in a tent at night.
The race is so gruelling that gold-medal winning Olympic rower James Cracknell collapsed at the end of the fourth stage when he competed in 2010, but turned down a drip because he would have incurred a two-hour penalty for receiving medical help.
Charlie, who moved to Harrogate three years ago from Bournemouth and works in the mortgage industry, said he took on the challenge because of his fascination with extreme endurance events.
He's previously taken part in Endure24, where runners do as many eight kilometre laps as possible in 24 hours.
He said:
"I want to know how I react to situations and hard things.
"Can I overcome that inner voice, which I know from previous events, will constantly be niggling – 'why are you doing this?' or 'let’s just stop now'.
"Can I carry on if things go wrong? What happens if I get injured?
"Basically, do I have it in me?"
On his previous epic efforts he's shied away from publicity as he says the attention and responsibility cause him extreme anxiety.
But for the Marathon des Sables in April he's issued a public appeal for donations as he tries to raise money and awareness for the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM). The charity is leading a movement against suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK.
Charlie said:
"I guess choosing CALM I knew I would probably have to admit that I have had some pretty severe mental health issues in the past – making the charity an obvious choice to help highlight the great work they do.
"I have never used the services offered, but I think it’s extremely important that people are aware of how they can get help. I think it’s imperative that people - especially guys - speak about how they’re feeling and that we get better at handling it when someone does too.
"That person might just need to say 'I feel a bit rubbish' – and that be enough to completely change how they feel, doesn’t have to be a big deal or dwelt on.
"I suppose I feel like not ‘owning up’ to why I chose CALM – I’m adding to the problem of not talking about it and not making it more ‘normal’."
Last year Charlie got a semicolon tattoo on his thumb, a message often linked to mental health awareness and suicide prevention as it symbolises the choice to continue a sentence (or life) instead of ending it.
He arrives in Morocco in April to take on the race and is now running in excess of 100 kilometres a week - including 40 kilometres on consecutive days on some weekends - to train for the demands of the event.
He said:
"I like to stay quite naive with these things – I know it’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted, but I’d rather not waste mental energy making it a bigger deal than it already is.
"The planning, prep, training, juggling finances, trying to organise events etc is already all consuming – I think I might be quite relieved when I get started.
"Once I’m there, all I have to worry about is staying healthy, and putting one foot in front of the other."
To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/page/mds4calm. Details of a charity race night at Roosters Taproom in Harrogate can be found at: www.buytickets.at/mds4calm/1492048.
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