TWO Petersfield headhunters are tackling ‘the toughest footrace on earth’.

Jakob Bloch (44) and Shaun Smart (30), are attempting the six-day notorious Marathon des Sables in the Sahara Desert.

The event, otherwise known as ’the toughest footrace on earth’ covers approximately 150 miles of running, walking and trekking over six days in the desert. That’s the equivalent of five and a half marathons in extreme conditions, sand dunes, temperatures ranging from below freezing at night up to a scorching 50 degrees in daytime, and sand storms, all whilst carrying everything they need for the entire race on their back.

Among the hazards they will face during the event in April will be dehydration, blisters and the giant camel spider.

One stretch is a 57 mile run through the night when they must carry all their week’s supplies – including food, toilet roll and anti-venom pumps.

The intrepid pair, who work at executive search firm Commodity Appointments in Station Road, Petersfield, which has funded their challenge, are training in the East Hampshire countryside, and on a treadmill in Jakob’s garage where he has rigged up a heat chamber so they can acclimatise. They are raising cash for the Dreams Come True charity in Liphook, which supports children with life-limiting conditions.

Said Jakob:?“The ethos of the race is that man is engineered to do more than we think we can do, and this race demonstrates that.”