Shaun Completes the Marathon Des Sables for KEMP

Imagine walking 250 kilometres through the Sahara Desert in an ultra-marathon, roughly the distance of six regular marathons. That’s 6 times round the London Marathon course, but in the Moroccan desert, and all within 6 days…

Shaun Marshall has been fundraising for KEMP Hospice for many years, so when he told us he was going to compete in the Marathon Des Sables for our care, we were completely in awe of his amazing dedication and commitment. After competing in the event, he came in to visit us to tell us all about it.

The Marathon Des Sables

“Everywhere you looked there was nothing, no life, just barren. You’d pass the occasional plant but everywhere you looked was sand and rocks. On the nights, in the dark, headlamps looked like car headlights, it was almost like seeing visions” Shaun told us about the equipment he carried and the facilities. “The kit I was carrying weighed just under 9kg without water and each night we shared open tents and cooked our own food. I’m still finding sand in my kit now!” 

Of everyone who took part, 322 people didn’t complete the course, with just 5 people from Shaun’s tent making it to the final checkpoint. We asked Shaun what kept him motivated to make it to the end. “I just kept thinking to keep going, focus on the light at the end of the darkness. Between us all we pushed each other. There were times when we really had to dig deep but we just kept reminding each other, if you want something you’ve got to put everything in, you can’t be negative”.

When we asked Shaun about how he found the 250km course, he told us “The longest day was Wednesday when we completed 90km in one day, the best day was the Monday at the start, we all felt part of it, in it together. But the final day on the last section, that was the most emotional. Long days, 40-degree temperatures, dry heat, blisters, and constant checks for dehydration and here I was at the end.  We had limited contact with home throughout the 6 days. We were able to occasionally receive emails but couldn’t call home until we reached the end when we had access to a satellite phone. I wasn’t sure my wife would pick up as it was a number she wouldn’t recognise, but thankfully she did!”

Shaun very kindly shared some footage from his challenge, so we put together a short video which you can watch here:

Continuing to fundraise for KEMP Hospice

If you think this unbelievable challenge would be enough, and Shaun is now taking it easy, you’d be wrong. “In the rest of this year, to celebrate my 50th birthday year, I’ll be completing in a Snowdon 24 race, 24 hours walking up and down the Llanberis Pass as many times as possible. I’ll also be finishing with an Iron Man in Wales, a 2.4mile sea swim, a 112km bike ride and a 26.2km run. After that, I may then take it easy for a while!”

Everyone at KEMP has such a huge amount of respect for Shaun and his dedication to supporting KEMP Hospice. Vicki Wootton-Champion, KEMP Community Fundraiser explains, “We cannot find the words to express how much we appreciate, admire and are in awe of Shaun’s accomplishments. To do those in aid of KEMP Hospice care and support services means so much to all of us and makes such a difference to the lives of the patients and people we care for and support”.

So far, Shaun has raised an incredible £2,000 in his epic challenge for KEMP Hospice. If you’d like to show your support for Shaun and donate to his Just Giving page, you can do so by clicking here.

If you feel inspired by Shaun’s story and would like to help raise vitals funds for KEMP care and support services, our team are here to help. Whether you’d like to complete your own epic challenge, hold a charity event, maybe a bake sale or a dress down day at the office, contact our Fundraising Team or click here for more information.