A ROSS-on-Wye man has completed a gruelling run through the desert- equivalent to six marathons.

Ross Whelan, 42, from Hom Green ran 156 miles over six days in Africa’s Sahara desert in April to raise £2,060.65 for Veterans Aid.

Of the 1,254 hopefuls who’d originally signed up for the Marathon des Sables, only 973 made it to the finish line with much of the drop-out being attributable to the strong winds and sandstorms which battered runners on the first and second days.

Mr Whelan said: "It’s often been said that the Marathon des Sables has a way of stripping you bare, right down to your core and it certainly felt that way.

"Physically the race was tough battling the 40c heat and the endless leg sapping sand dunes but the reality is that the race is 90 percent mental with success dependent on how you deal with the adverse conditions thrown at you.

"Simply put, the only luxury you can expect to experience on this journey is a can of coke if you’re lucky enough to make it past the long day."

He thanked everybody who sponsored him.