Marathon runner Greg Tyers is gearing up to take part in one of the most gruelling runs on the planet the Marathon des Sables.His plan is to cross 150 miles of Moroccan desert terrain over the course of seven days in an effort to raise cash for the Bermuda SPCA and Salvation Army.Competitors must battle harsh heat and humidity, cope with dehydration, hurdle over mountains and through sand dunes while carrying their own equipment and food during the multi-day marathon event.Mr Tyers told The Royal Gazette he was confident he would get through the first three days of the run; the real challenge would come on day four when he would have to travel a distance of 50 miles.He said he’d got some good advice on what to pack and how best to tackle the rocky course from Bermuda resident Grant Mowbray.He found out about the race after he was given a book listing some of the world’s ultimate endurance challenges.The Marathon des Sables sees hundreds of athletes test themselves each April by running marathon distances in the Southern Moroccan Sahara desert.This year’s competition takes place April 5 through 15.Mr Tyers said he signed up to test himself and push the limits of how far his mind, body and spirit could go.“It justified the personal, selfish reasons I had in doing it for myself, but also I saw it as a great opportunity to raise awareness for the local SPCA and Salvation Army,” he explained.He chose to support the Salvation Army after seeing first-hand the hard work provided by community members like Lionel Cann, who look after the less fortunate.The SPCA is another charity close to his heart. He got to learn more about their work as advocates, after his family adopted a cat.He said this would be his last big charity run for a while. He has taken part in the Three Peaks Challenge in the UK and completed two races the Paris International Marathon and Boston Marathon with friend Mark Harris within the space of days.“I am treating this as a rite of passage into the next stage of my life,” Mr Tyers said.“I have read some articles where they describe the Marathon des Sables as a very cleansing activity and you run through different stages and get a sense of clarity throughout the event, a sense of achievement.”Mr Tyers said running has taken up a lot of time and resources over the past few years and feels like he is ready for a “well deserved break”.He has had to wake up at 5am for early morning runs with local running group The Weekenders three times a week. Mr Tyers has run on his own with an increasingly heavy rucksack and ‘sauna suit’ to help adapt to the expected extreme weather conditions.He’s also worked to prepare his feet for the journey.“One of the main reasons people drop out is because of feet problems; blisters get aggravated, so foot preparation is important,” he said.Years ago he was “lazy” and a smoker, Mr Tyers said. He’s come a lot further than he ever imagined possible and encouraged others to give running a try.He said: “Sometimes I have to pinch myself and say ‘Are you really actually doing this trip thing?’. But I think if people challenge and push themselves and build up slowly and manage their expectations they can do it.”He said people often pushed themselves too hard in the January or February fitness rush and ended up getting bored or injured.He recommended for new runners to start off slowly and progress to longer distances over six months.So far he has raised $6,500 for the two charities and hopes more money will pour in before he departs next month.To donate, people can e-mail greg.tyers@marsh and opt to sponsor him for every mile he runs or a lump sum amount. All funds raised will go straight to the charities on an even split; he is covering all his personal travel and equipment expenses.