The University of Hull has helped three athletes prepare for the toughest foot race on the planet.
The Marathon Des Sables takes place over six days – and 150 miles - in the heart of the Sahara Desert in North Africa.
Taking in sand dunes and rocky mountainous terrain, the ultra-endurance event is widely considered to the hardest an athlete can face.
The University of Hull supported three athletes in their training for this year’s Marathon Des Sables – taking place currently in Morocco.
The athletes used the University’s Environmental Chamber – which can recreate temperatures ranging from -20 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius, and humidity as high as 90%.
Timothy Duckett, who is competing in this year’s event, said: “Working with the team at the University of Hull has helped me enormously in my preparation for the Marathon Des Sables.
“The team has provided me with data points – I would not know what my internal temperature was. They have been taking start and finish blood samples after I have been in the Environmental Chamber, which gives me an idea of where my oxygen levels are with red blood cells.
“Having access to the Environmental Chamber, and the team at the University, has been absolutely invaluable.”