Betws-y-Coed man to take on the Marathon des Sables

Oct 13 2011 by Samantha Castle, North Wales Weekly News

A FORMER Conwy Valley rugby player is attempting five marathons in arid conditions in the space of six days in memory of his late father.

Henry Williams of Betws-y-Coed is taking part in the gruelling Marathon des Sables (MdS), a race through the Sahara Desert, next April.

The former Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy student, who used to play rugby for Nant Conwy, currently lives in Brighton, but is calling on Weekly News readers in his homeland to help him raise £20,000 for charity.

“I am running for Multiple Myeloma, a charity very close to me because my dad died from a form of it in January. I’m hoping to raise as much money as possible,” said Henry, 27.

Henry will race alongside his friend John Whittaker, 28.

He added: “It was about three years ago that John asked me if I wanted to run the MdS with him and I volunteered.

“I’d heard about it and, loving an adventure, thought it to be a great idea. Now we are six months away I’m filled with excitement and trepidation.

“We recently completed our first ultra-marathon, the Lakeland 50. The dramatic highs and lows of the race, with the elation at crossing the finish line, has given us a taste for the challenge ahead and a glimpse of the pain we will endure.

“I met John on a rugby tour at Reading University. It’s safe to say we weren’t beacons of healthy living but always had an appetite for a challenge and a streak of madness which has led me to follow John to the Sahara.”

The Marathon des Sables (Marathon of the Sand) is considered the hardest footrace on Earth. It is a multi-stage ultra-marathon in the Sahara Desert, one of the harshest environments on the planet.

The race covers approximately 250km (155 miles), equivalent to five and a half marathons, over six days in temperatures reaching 120ºF.

“In addition to the heat all competitors have to be completely self sufficient, carrying all their belongings, and we have funded the trip ourselves,” added Henry.

“There are no showers, no toilets, no beds and no supermarkets, and competitors have to carry and prepare all their own food and cooking equipment.”

In order to prepare themselves for the MdS, the lads have partaken in a number of marathons and endurance races throughout 2011. Now they just need sponsorship.

To make a donation go to run-walk-crawl-drop.com