Charity champ’s hot to trot in Sahara

Mar 23 2008 by Eleanor Gregson, Sunday Sun

RUNNER Jamie Cowen is set to run the equivalent of six marathons in a week . . . in the searing Sahara Desert.

Jamie, 29, is taking part in the Marathon Des Sables, often described as the toughest foot race on earth, in which competitors have to complete 153 miles in seven days in temperatures of around 48C (120F).

Jamie, of Low Fell, Gateshead, will be running in his beloved Newcastle United strip under the name Desert Mag.

He hopes to raise around £10,000 for the Just for Kids charity.

He said: “I had wanted to do the race for ages after seeing it on the television years ago. I’ve had my heart set on it ever since.

“I was travelling in Sydney with my wife Amy when I signed up for it in 2006, and immediately started running across the desert over there to get in training.

“All you can do is run as far as you can to get used to running such long distances.

“Some people have been running on the beach to prepare themselves. I’ve been running with a pack whenever I can.”

Jamie, who works in advertising in London, will cross steep sandy terrain in Morocco wearing a backpack weighing around 16kg (35lbs) containing all his food and bedding for the week.

The thrill-seeker will complete an average of one full marathon a day, with just one rest day in between, but hopes his 18 months of training will have him fully prepared.

Jamie did a lap of honour at St James’s Park during half-time at Newcastle’s match with Fulham yesterday to top up his donation total.

Along with around 800 other participants from around the world, he will battle extreme tiredness and heat exhaustion to complete the mammoth challenge.

He said: “You’ve got to be pretty switched on about looking out for symptoms of fatigue, and I’ll also be wearing special leg warmers over my shoes which will stop the sand getting in.”

To protect his toes which will swell in the heat — and has resulted in some people having theirs amputated — he must wear shoes a size too big.

Jamie flies out for the event at the end of this month and it finishes on April 7.

Just for Kids is a charity which helps disabled and disadvantaged children in the North East. To donate, visit Jamie’s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/thedesertmag