A NORTHWICH man who lost his dad suddenly to heart failure has flown to Africa to compete in ‘the hardest foot race on Earth’ in his memory. 

Simon Keenan, who lives in Delamere, has spent months in training for this year’s gruelling Marathon des Sables, also known as the Sahara Marathon, where the extreme 40-degree heat means he will lose up to four litres of sweat an hour.

For his own safety, the dad-of-two has been training in a special chamber at the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance replicating the altitude, heat, and humidity of the Sahara Dessert. 

Northwich Guardian: Simon Keegan acclimatising to Sahara Desert conditions at the Manchester Institute of Health and PerformanceSimon Keegan acclimatising to Sahara Desert conditions at the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance (Image: Nuffield Health)

The 43-year-old is completing the six-day, 251km ultra-marathon, which starts today (April 21), in Morocco, in memory of his dad, John Keenan, who fell ill with heart failure while Simon was away climbing Kilimanjaro last October, but sadly died three days after he returned.

Simon says his dad hated people moping around, which is why he decided to enter the hardest foot race on Earth as a celebration of his life, and to raise funds and awareness for the British Heart Foundation through his online funding page.

He said: “It was a short, sharp, and sudden thump back to earth and a day I’ll never forget.

"When I got to the hospital that day, dad was in a bad way. He battled on bravely for three days but passed away on my third evening back.

“I’ve been training for the race ever since, and I’ve been building up the distance I can run, my mental focus, and most importantly, my ability to cope with the extreme climate of the Sahara Desert."

The first Marathon des Sables, literally ‘Marathon of the Sands’, took place 1986, and to date 25,000 people from more than 50 countries have taken part.

Runners have to rucksacks containing enough food for six days and all their own camping kit for when they all bed-down together in specially-built tent villages in the desert each night.

Simon added: “My wife and kids have been really supportive, as well as my work colleagues.  

“I’m looking forward to the race and I can’t wait to get started. I feel like I’m fully prepared for the conditions I’ll face out there.”