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The Full Moon Run
June 20, 2016
The Full Moon Run in the Agafay desert in Morocco is run annually in the month of Ramadan. It brings together runners of all nationalities and religions to celebrate the Muslim Holy Month with a 12 km run through the desert under the light of the midnight moon.
Oops! I seem to be running an ultra…
June 2, 2016
I had volunteered to go along and be the translator for the Trans Atlas Marathon, a six day trail running ultra across the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Little did I know that I would also be running it.
Hell on Wheels
May 19, 2016
Some days test you to your utmost. The lava road in Kenya was to be one of those days. Kenya was the fourth country on our mad race through Africa by bike. We had started in Cairo and were ending in Cape Town as part of the Tour D'Afrique, the longest bike race on earth. This is an extract from my book about the adventure, Dodging Elephants,
Running Tales: An Unlikely Guardian Angel
April 27, 2016
Morning runs in Marrakech always bring some form adventure, be it big or small. Today's involved a coffee maker and a Guardian.
Survivors’ Stories: Marathon Des Sables 2016
April 19, 2016
I ran the Marathon Des Sables in 2014 and for the last two years, I have been going down to Ouarzazate for the end of the race as a volunteer to help the runners check in to their hotel, relax and then get on their flights at the end. This year I was also working as writer for www.runultra.co.uk and www.hopesobright.org. That added an extra depth as I followed our heroes' journeys across the sand. Marathon Des Sables, ultra race, trail race, ultrarun par excellence - the toughest footrace on earth. Here are some of their stories.
Planting a future in the Moroccan Mountains
March 25, 2016
I had gone up to the mountains to meet friends for a couple of days of hiking. Remote and wild, we had fantastic days out across canyons, up river beds and into secret valleys. Our host and guide, Ali, not only shared his knowledge and experience with us, he also invited us to help him plant a wood of almond trees. Leaving something for the future.
Marrakech by sidecar .. toot, toot
March 11, 2016
I thought I knew Marrakech and the winding streets of the medina pretty well. I was sure I knew the roads of the Palmeraie, which I have run along many a time, intimately. But a half-day tour in a vintage sidecar with Insiders Experiences gave me a whole new perspective. A mini adventure.
Why I love running in Morocco
March 7, 2016
Even when I fall out of love completely with the pain of running and the slog of training, there is always something that lures me back in and here in Morocco that is doubly true. The smell of orange blossom, the quiet of the desert, the offer of a cup of mint tea....
DNA Diet and Fitness
February 13, 2016
I don't think I am alone in struggling with my diet and fitness and wondering whether I keep failing purely because I am weak and the lure of cake and a box set of The Walking Dead is strong. I am also disillusioned with all the fads and fashions in the food industry - eggs are bad/eggs are good, coconut oil will save your life, gluten is the devil. So, when I was offered the chance to try out a food and exercise programme, based on my genetic predispositions I was all in. This is how it works.
A million miles from ISIS
January 21, 2016
Macro and micro - two perspectives separated by just one tiny vowel. Living in a country which is not your own is a privilege. It gives you the chance to look at things differently. Every time I go for a run or a walk in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, I get to see Islam at the micro level. The level lived by so many million muslims around the world. This story is about that community of spirit.