TWO Scottish men raising money for Motor Neurone Disease charities are due to take part at the weekend in what is generally reckoned to be the world’s toughest annual foot race, the Marathon of the Sands in the Sahara Desert.
Competitors run over 156 miles (250km) over six days in temperatures ranging from 50C during the day down to freezing at night, carrying their own supplies and with only a Berber tent to shelter them at night.
Murdo Anderson, 24, will leave snowbound West Linton in the Scottish Borders and travel via London to Morocco for the 33rd running of the race formally known as the Marathon Des Sables.
He will be joined at the start line by Stewart Bell, 35, originally from Alva who now lives in Dubai. Both men are running to raise cash for the charity MND Scotland while former rugby player Murdo is also raising money for the fund started by the inspirational Scotland international Doddie Weir who was diagnosed with the disease last year.
Anderson said: “After we get to Morocco there’s a long drive out into the desert in army vehicles and then we go into camp for the start on Sunday.
“I’ve never run a marathon before but I have been training about five months, doing long distance runs in the Pentland and in the Borders hills, running 20 miles or so one day and then another 20 the next.
“I have just been running for the last two weeks in the acclimatisation chamber at Napier University in Edinburgh simulating conditions of with 40C in dry heat. I’ve been running in there for an hour at a time and it’s really helped.”
Formerly with Peebles Rugby Club, Anderson was forced to suspend his rugby through injury but looked to a rugby figure to inspire him.
“I chose to do it for Doddie,” he said, “as fortunately our family has never had such a serious illness as MND. One of Doddie’s nieces is a very good friend of mine so when we found out he had the disease it was obvious what I had to do.
“I had a target of £2000 but over £6000 has already come in. I have been astonished by the generosity people have shown.”
Stewart Bell will be taking on the challenge in memory of his grandfather, Charlie Pirie, who died from MND in 2002. Stewart also lost his beloved Aunty Joy from the rare disease in 2012. He said: “We lost my Papa Pirie to MND in 2002, and my Aunty Joy in 2012. My motivation to raise funds for MND Scotland comes not only because of their loss, but in respect of what they meant to us in our lives and how they persevered.”
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