AN electrician from North Yorkshire has returned from the run of his life; a gruelling six-day ultra-marathon through the Sahara desert.

Steve Woof, from Ingleby Arncliffe, near Stokesley, has just returned home after completing the notoriously punishing Marathon des Sables.

Described as the toughest footrace on earth, it involves 156 miles through the desert heat, with competitors carrying everything they need on their backs except water and tents. They have to cover the equivalent of a marathon a day, and a double marathon over one 21-hour period.

He said the toughest stretch of the race was after he completed a 58 mile section and discovered a sandstorm had blown through the camp, knocking down the tents. But he said he came through the race relatively unscathed.

One of the greatest problems for runners is injury to their feet.

Steve said: “My feet are still swollen now. I suffered a few blisters and lost a lot of skin from my toes, but they are in good condition compared to a lot of people who lost a mega amount of skin from their feet. A couple of lads suffered compound fractures on the way, but kept going. Another bloke did the race with a couple of broken toes.”

About 1,500 people from 50 nations are selected to take part in the competition. This year the runners included Sir Ranulph Fiennes, 71, who has become the oldest Briton to complete the race.

Runners could be followed on their route via GPS tracking by friends and family back home.

Steve, who raised £2,500 for Crohn's and Colitis UK, said the thought of support back home kept him going.

“Every time I passed a checkpoint or finished for the day I imagined everyone back home was cheering. It was a way of checking yourself and keeping yourself going. I would imagine a roar coming from Yorkshire.”