Guernsey runner James Le Gallez takes on 157 mile desert race

James Le Gallez aims to raise £10,000 for Autism Guernsey, Jersey Hospice Care, and The Guernsey Society for Cancer Relief

Guernsey man James Le Gallez, 35, is facing the gruelling challenge of a seven day, 157 mile (253km) marathon across south-east Morocco.

He will also be carrying a 26lb (12kg) pack on his first Marathon Des Sables which starts on Sunday.

He aims to raise £10,000 for Autism Guernsey, Jersey Hospice Care, and The Guernsey Society for Cancer Relief.

"Looking at the forecasts for the race, it's looking like 35C in the day, so it's going to be pretty hot," he said.

He will be carrying a 26lb (12kg) pack

His training has also been hampered by an ankle injury.

"I've had a lifelong injury that has progressively got worse through this batch of training," he said.

"In the last two months, it got to the point where I actually thought I was going to have to pull out.

"So I've been backwards and forwards to physios to get some wonderful injections in my feet, which has been a pleasant experience."

He has a reminder on his smart watch to go off every 30 minutes to remind him to drink water in the heat.

'Hard to sleep'

"I have to make sure I'm eating at set intervals," he said.

"It's very easy to just get lost in a hole of running when you forget your electrolytes and food."

The race itself is over seven days, split into six stages.

"You start 7 or 8am every morning, do that stage, camp in the desert, then you start again the next day," he said.

Mr Le Gallez said the runners would be sleeping under tarpaulins with a rug on the floor and while he was taking an inflatable mattress "with 1,000 people all camping, it's going to be hard to sleep every night and recover".

"My nerves are starting to settle a bit and I'm looking forward to getting started," he said.

"I've had lots of messages from people connected to the charities over the last couple of days spurring me on, so that's nice and hopefully I'll get more as I'm going through the desert."