AN Isle of Wight woman has just completed two back-to-back marathons in the Sahara Desert for the East Cowes-based charity, MAD-Aid.
Kate Couch, 48, undertook the Saharan Ultra Challenge and did a marathon on Friday, October 13, in the Draa Valley in Morocco, followed by a second marathon in the same area on the following day – a total of 84km - or 52 miles - of racing.
She encountered temperatures of up to 39C as she ran or hiked over a vast range of desert terrain – from rocky areas in the shadow of the High Atlas Mountains, to sand dunes and palmeries.
She was among just under 100 participants, some of whom had to pull out due to heatstroke, injuries, or severe blisters during the event.
Kate was aiming to raise £1,000 for MAD-Aid’s latest project, to renovate the neonatal unit at the main children’s hospital in the Moldovan capital of Chisinau, which has not been upgraded since 1986.
She said:
“Both the high temperatures and the rocky terrain were quite difficult to cope with, but the landscape was incredible, and it was a truly epic challenge.
“I went slowly on the first marathon, but I felt good afterwards, so on the second day I pushed a bit harder and finished the second marathon about an hour quicker.
“I have been fundraising both online and offline and I have collected just under £900 so far.
"My JustGiving page will remain open for a while longer for donations.”
To make a donation online see: www.justgiving.com/page/kate-saharan-challenge-2023
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