Steff completes the world’s toughest run (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Steff completes the world’s toughest run

12:30pm Thursday 1st May 2008 in News

A former couch potato, who was five stone overweight at one time, has just completed the world's toughest run.

Tewkesbury businessman Steff Leweski has just completed the Marathon de Sable.

The six-day super marathon involves running 155 miles carrying 50kgs of equipment in temperatures that soar to 50 degrees.

Competitors run across the burning Sahara Desert, climbing leg straining sand dunes, carrying their own sleeping bags and mats, and a day's supply of water.

"It is the hardest thing that I have ever done and it really did test me.

"It is the pinnacle of super marathons and it was the challenge that attracted me," he said.

"It is the toughest race in the world - they do not give participants gold medals for nothing," he said.

Getting started was hard, as they were straight into 15km of punishing sand dunes on the first day.

"It really takes it out of your legs," he said.

He finished the race in 57 hours, putting him in 524th place, and says that just finishing the run was enough of an achievement.

However, he says he did not get his diet right and would like to have another go in 2010.

His efforts raised £1,000, which will be shared between The Dogs Trust and Amnesty International.

He is now preparing for a three-day run around the coast of Devon and Cornwall.

"If I can do it, anyone can, " he said.

Steff is a precision engineer and runs his own engineering company.