On 6 April 2006, Julie Thrower, a solicitor with Speechly Bircham and 700 competitors from across the globe will descend on a secret location hidden in the vast expanse of Morocco's Southern Sahara Desert for the 21st Marathon des Sables, a 6 day 250 km endurance marathon in one of the most hostile environments on earth. 

Commonly described as the toughest footrace on earth the MDS is not for the fainthearted or for those who moan on holidays about sand in their sandwiches. 

For most, it is not a holiday .....