A Wrexham man who completed the 2017's Marathon Des Sables in Morocco, or as it is other well known as, 'the toughest footrace on earth' will be taking on a whole new thrill seeking adventure.

Paul Edwards, 53, of Penycae, is currently undergoing gruelling training sessions in preparation for his next big adventure that is taking place in the Arizona desert, North America.

Mr Edwards' next adventure is the Grand to Grand Ultra-Marathon, which commences on September 22nd and ends September 28th.

The event, which has only be held seven times before, will see a limited number of just 170 runners from all across the world participating in this ultra-marathon.

A marathon is known as an ultra-marathon when there is a distance of 26.2 miles between the two.

Speaking on the preparations for his latest adventure, Mr Edwards, said:"My training has built up gradually to over 100 miles per week and is a mix of hiking and running to mimic what I believe will be my strategy in the desert. I have ran nine marathons and two ultra-marathons, which have been apart of my training since February."

The Grand to Grand event is a 170 miles ultra-marathon that begins at the rim of the Grand Canyon in Kanab, Utah and goes through the high desert to finish 170 miles later at the Grand Staircase in Arizona.

Like his previous marathons in blistering locations, Paul is fully prepared for what to expect. He said: "The event consists of a format of six stages over seven days. It is America's only multi-stage self-sufficient endurance race, which means that each runner has to carry all of their food, sleeping kit, medical equipment and a large selection of other mandatory kit for the entire event."

Despite travelling all the way to the popular tourist attraction in Arizona in order to take part in this event, Mr Edwards has a profound appreciation towards his hometown for allowing him to prepare. He said:"I live in the perfect place for training, especially for the hill work. I have taken pictures when I am on my training runs, some being at sunrise and others during different times of the day."

As well as physically preparing for this event, Paul has been ensuring that what he eats is beneficial for succeeding. "I am dieting to get my weight down as it definitely helps with the conditions of the race. My backpack will weigh around 12kgs, so a lighter me will be an advantage. Three weeks before the event I will be spending three one hour sessions per week in a steam room to get some heat acclimation done, again, it did wonders for the Marathon des Sables so hoping it works again."

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