Dubai expats set for Marathon des Sables

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  • Marcus Smith (l) and Tom Otton (r) are taking on the craziest marathon on Earth.

    Two UAE expats are bracing themselves for the greatest challenge of their lives on April 5 when they tackle the six-day Marathon des Sables. 

    Dubbed as ‘The Toughest Footrace on Earth’, Tom Otton and Marcus Smith will go toe-to-toe with the Sahara Desert.

    The race, which began in 1986 and involves a 250km multi-stage adventure, places as much an emphasis on brains as brawn. Competitors  don’t only have to be fit, they have to be clever, with the rules requiring runners to be self-sufficient; all supplies must be carried on their backs, with a tent supplied at night. 

    In day to day life in Dubai, Otton is the managing director of Create Media Group, a leading digital agency that he founded five years ago. His racing companion Marcus is the founder of the ‘InnerFight’ brand, and an extremely successful high-performance coach, motivational speaker and international athlete.

    Together they are a perfect combination for the Marathon des Sables. Both men have a positive outlook on life that is contagious – something that will be crucial when they face rigorous obstacles in the Sahara.

    Otton and Smith met through rugby so it is fitting that their friendship and fitness will be put to the test in the toughest race around. But why did they put themselves forward for such a demanding run? “That’s really the question,” Otton says to Sport360 ahead of the race.  “You can run a kilometre, then five, then 10, then a marathon. But what do you do next? This is something we figured would push the limits.”

    Surprisingly, 18 months ago Otton had never run further than 10km – a factor which one might expect to make him a little nervous ahead of his six-day encounter with the Sahara. “There are always nerves but that is a good thing,” he says. “This is a tough race and we both understand that. If there were no nerves there would be something wrong.”

    To prepare for the physical challenge, the men have been taking advantage of their surroundings in the UAE.

    “We go to the desert and run because that is what we are going to do in the Marathon des Sables, however a large part of our training is related to getting our bodies strong, which the endurance coach at InnerFight takes care of for us. There are many awesome bits of desert and mountains within an hour’s drive of Dubai, so we try to vary it but there are some great places.”

    The open Sahara awaits Tom and Marcus

    While the physical demands of the equivalent of six marathons in six days in intense heat (often upwards of 50 degrees celsius) are obvious, mental strength too is vital. Away from the comforts of home during the 250km trek, water is rationed and competitors are required to take in a minimum of 2000 calories per day.

    Although the race is gruelling, it is popular. Over 1,300 people take on the challenge together so the duo are expecting it to be “good fun”. 

    With great marathons, of course, come great causes. 

    “We are doing this to raise funds to build an orphanage on the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania,” Otton explains. “This is in response to the desperate plight of Tanzanian children who have been abandoned by parents – either by reason of disease and death, divorce or other incapacity to maintain the family unit.

    “The charity is called Larchfield and is set up by an expat living in Dubai called Jim Berry. We know Jim very well and to be able to change the lives of others through what we are doing is a privilege.

    “The objective is to build and operate a purpose built children’s home, initially for 50 children, but phased to accommodate eventually up to 300.”

    If the running is as good as the fundraising, Otton and Smith should impress in the Sahara. They have already reached their objective of Dhs30,000 from 80 donations and hope to raise much more. Raising money for a good cause is an integral reason for their participation, but the UAE residents also believe the challenge may give them a different outlook on life.

    “When you do something like this you learn a lot about yourself and it puts a lot of things in life in perspective,” says Otton. “Many people will never do something like this and that’s okay. Running a single mile for some people right now may be a challenge, but if you are getting better every day and learning, then that is awesome.”

    Marcus (l) and Tom (r) take a minute to pose whilst training

    Before they take on the Marathon des Sables, Otton and Smith are keen to pay tribute to those who have made the journey possible. “We both would like to thank our families and friends for their unreal support,” Otton concludes. “Marcus often says that I am incredibly lucky to have a wife who understands when I come home and tell her I want to do things like this. She never flinches, never doubts, but always supports.

    “To know you have someone like that not only makes the challenge easier but provides a huge amount of motivation. I am a very lucky guy. It is that kind of support not only from those close to us but from people around the world that really helps on things like this.”

    Donate to Tom and Marcus’ cause by visiting: www.justgiving.com/TO-MS. Sport360 will be keeping up to date with their progress throughout the Marathon des Sables. If you would like to watch videos or read articles in build up to the event, visit: http://www.marathondessables.co.uk.

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