THE heat is on for Woolston man Stuart Beardsworth as he embarks on a gruelling fitness regime in preparation for a race across the Sahara desert to raise money for The Anthony Nolan Trust.

The Marathon de Sables takes place in Morocco next April and includes a 'marathon' stage of 26.2 miles and a 50-mile 'non stop' stage, which runners have two days to complete. The terrain varies from rocky plains and lakebeds to sand dunes, with extremes of temperature.

Competitors must carry all their own food and personal gear for the entire race - including a sleeping bag, food, anti-venom pump and survival kit.

Originally from Ulverston in Cumbria, Stuart, aged 28, has lived in Warrington for the past eight years, and as manager of Total Fitness he has no excuse for hesitating with his strict fitness regime in preparation for the race.

He has already started training and says: "I'm cross training for about two hours, usually with a backpack on to give me an idea of the weight I'll be carrying.

"I'm also working out ways to simulate the heat of the Sahara - I'm thinking of putting a bike in the sauna and trying that for a few hours!

"I want to push myself to the limits and see how far I can go. I doubt if I'll do the Marathon de Sables more than once, but the sense of achievement I'll feel when I finish will be tremendous."

He added: "Everyone in Warrington knows about the tragic death of Shannon Bradshaw, who died before she could receive a bone marrow transplant.

"Her family were so brave through it all and did so much to increase the number of people on the register, that I felt I should do something to help too."