AN inspirational ultra-marathon runner has become the oldest UK and Ireland finisher in this year’s renowned ‘toughest footrace on earth’.

The Marathon des Sables takes place at the end of April and is a 250km race across Morocco and the Sahara Desert for six days with a variety of different stages.

Runners battle through extreme temperatures and tough terrain whilst carrying their own food and sleeping bags for the duration.

Redditch Advertiser: Nigel won an award for being the UK and Ireland's oldest competitor to finish the Marathon des Sables.Nigel won an award for being the UK and Ireland's oldest competitor to finish the Marathon des Sables. (Image: Nigel Watson.)

The race usually has a dropout rate of around five to ten per cent, but this year Morocco was suffering from an extreme heat wave of between 46 and 48 degrees meaning around 30 per cent of people dropped out before the finish line.

One of the determined competitors to finish was Nigel Watson, aged 67 from Redditch.

Not only did he place 419th out of 763 people, winning the award of oldest UK and Ireland participant to finish, but he ran the race while fighting prostate cancer.

Redditch Advertiser: Competitors sleep in tents and must carry their own food during the duration.Competitors sleep in tents and must carry their own food during the duration. (Image: Nigel Watson.)

Nigel was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018 and is now campaigning for every man over the age of 50 to have a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test.

He is known in Redditch for wearing a pink and a blue sock – blue raising awareness of prostate cancer and pink for breast cancer.

Nigel has raised a staggering £5,000 for four charities – Prostate Cancer UK, Prevent Breast Cancer, Mind and Primrose Hospice.

“Over the last few years, I have lost a few friends to those conditions,” said Nigel.

“I wanted to raise money for those that couldn’t.

“I took orders of services with me from my friend’s funerals in my backpack and they acted like my guardian angels.

Redditch Advertiser: Nigel ran the race with his friend Chris Blackwell-Frost.Nigel ran the race with his friend Chris Blackwell-Frost. (Image: Nigel Watson.)

“When I was in a bad place, I would look at the orders of services and that would instantly motivate me.

“My cancer was my inspiration for running the race.

“Men are not good at going to the doctors about things.

“So, I am encouraging every man over 50 to get checked.”

Nigel said the race ‘was the toughest thing he has ever done.”

He added: “To do the race is one thing but to do it with cancer is another.

“It is brutal and definitely lives up to his name.

“My feet are in bits and my back is sore, but I am really pleased.

“My family and friends were very worried about me during the race but they are so proud.”

Nigel ran the race with his friend Chris Blackwell-Frost, following in the footsteps of renowned Redditch runner Doug Richards.

“Doug finished the race in the 1990s and he was so helpful during my training,” added Nigel.

To prepare for the ultra-marathon, Nigel was given access to an environmental chamber at the University of Wolverhampton, which allowed Nigel to manipulate the environmental conditions to replicate the temperature of the Sahara Desert

He also used the sauna at Fit Club in Redditch to acclimatise to race conditions.

To donate to Nigel’s fundraising efforts, visit his four dedicated pages: https://www.justgiving.com/page/nigel-watson-1679147990710, https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nigel-watson18, https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nigel-watson19, https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nigel-watson17.