The official site says “Welcome to the world of lunatics and masochists” and on the face of it competitors in the Marathon Des Sables, the toughest foot race on earth, must be slightly mad to attempt the 151-mile marathon through the Moroccan Sahara in temperatures up to 120°F.

One of those competitors is Anthony Ayers from Truro, a veteran of four Tough Guy challenges, who is hoping to raise £5,000 for Diabetes UK.

Anthony, 35, works as the acting Estates Operations and Maintenance Manager at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro and is putting in his final training for the multi-stage ultra marathon, which is run over six days and takes place at the end of March.

Tony said: “The Marathon Des Sables is a fantastic opportunity to not only challenge myself, having never run a marathon before, but to raise money for a fantastic cause as well.

“The charity I have chosen is Diabetes UK because friends and family have been diagnosed with the condition and because of my general lack of understanding of what it actually means to be a diabetic and how it affects the way people live with diabetes.”

The Marathon Des Sables is the equivalent of running five and a half regular marathons. It is open to both seasoned athletes and those fun runners who enjoy a challenge.

Both will suffer from severe blisters, dehydration, sleep depravation and exhaustion. Coupled with the extremes of Saharan temperatures, the Marathon Des Sables is truly a merciless test of endurance.

In addition to that, the 700 competitors have to carry everything they will need for the duration (apart from a tent) on their backs in rucksacks. Water is rationed and handed out at each checkpoint.

Competitors will be running or walking on uneven rocky, stony ground as well as 15 – 20 per cent of the distance being in sand dunes.

To prepare for the marathon, Anthony is training six days a week covering about 85 miles per week although as the marathon draws nearer he will be doing more. Anthony has been getting advice from a policeman from Launceston who did the race last year and has plans to run the coastal path with a friend before the end of March.

Anthony’s wife Micheala, who works at the Diabetic Centre and at the Knowledge Spa, Truro, and their two children Callum, 11, and Evelyn, five, pupils at Archbishop Benson School in Truro have been very supportive although they are now keen for it to be over. Anthony said: “They just want it out of the way because it does take up so much of my time with training and preparation.”

Anthony’s family won’t be joining him in Morocco but will instead be preparing the foot bath and stocking up on plasters for when he gets home!

Anthony first heard about the marathon during his time in the RAF. He said: “At the time I thought those doing it were idiots! I may yet be proved correct in my thoughts.”

But his interest was raised again following Jack Osborne’s Adrenaline Junkie TV programme and he decided he could do it. Anthony paid nearly £3,000 for the pleasure of entering on top of the £5,000 he has decided to raise for charity. Anthony said: “Those taking part do not have to do any fundraising. It is about the personal challenge but I decided it was too good an opportunity to raise money for Diabetes UK.”

Anthony will be flying out to Morocco the Thursday before the marathon starts and his only real aim is to finish it in reasonable health and complete the longest section of 82km in less than 20 hours.

The night before the start, competitors take part in a fancy dress party after the inspection of kit and gear to check they have everything they must carry, including sleeping bag, first aid equipment and an anti-venom pump just in case they get bitten or stung by spiders, scorpions or snakes!

Anthony, a keen photographer who has won the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust staff photography competition twice, is also planning to take a camera with him to capture the sights of his epic challenge. An exhibition and sale of his Marathon Des Sables pictures after he returns could then help to raise more money for Diabetes UK.

On the eve of the last leg competitors are treated to a concert by a professional orchestra who are flown out and perform in full dress in the middle of the Sahara. At the end of the race those who manage to finish are personally presented with a medal by Patrick Bauer, creator of the MDS.

Anthony has a taste for the extreme. He has completed the Tough Guy Challenge four times which involves an eight mile cross country run, which is disrupted by the odd energy sapping obstacle, followed by a further two miles of highly unpleasant obstacles collectively known as the “Killing Fields”! And for the future, he says the Gobi Challenge, another ultra marathon across the Gobi Desert, or the Jungle Marathon, the choice of 100km or 200km marathons through the Amazon, are on his list. But first there is the Sahara!

Companies who’d like to support Anthony in his endeavour and would like to see their logos cross part of the Sahara, or displayed on his website can contact Anthony via the contacts page on his MDS website, www.anthonyayersmds2009.weebly.com or sponsor Andy online by visiting his fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/anthonyayersmds2009. All monies donated through this site go directly to the Diabetes UK charity.

After leaving the Royal Air Force, Anthony worked at St Merryn Meat and spent four years at RNAS Culdrose, Helston before starting employment at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, he is currently coming to the end of studying a Management Diploma at Camborne College.