Wow, what an intro. When people who have done 7of these say its the hardest Day1 ever you have to take notice. 10 miles of the 20 total were through and over the second highest dunes in africa - they were epic! Had a 10 min admin stop at start to sort socks and feet but happy to come in at 5hrs30 and in the mid 200s overall - higher than my 400-500 expectation. Feet not bad; body not bad considering so a few hours before we get up to do it ll again. 24 miles tomorrow....can't wait!

Absolutely killer day. Just under 21 miles in total and said by some people who have done it before that it is one of the toughest days they've done.
As we left the start, ACDC's Highway to Hell was playing. All that the was missing today was the Grim Reaper! 8 miles of undulation and then 8 miles of dunes, followed by 5 miles into a headwind.

Highs: Finishing

Lows: Starting! One blister.

Learnings: If you're 14.5 stone, carrying over 10 kilos and have size 14 trainers, sand dunes are bloody hardwork!

This morning made spicy by a sand storm that prevented anyone getting the cookers going - cold freeze dried food is not good! The first 10 miles were spent chewing sand in the storm but it cleared up after that (although the storm is back in the camp so we've got the same probem). The terrain today was more like running on the surface of Mars with periods of dunes thrown in for good measure! Lots of big sharp rocks to do ankles on and 1 guy fell and broke his leg. Overall it was slower than yesterday but Ben and I did the last leg together as he hit a bit of a dehydration wall. The poles are working their way round the team - Rob is next! Unfortunately the gaiters also split so sand got in and didn't do the toes any favours. 5 painful days left to manage that! Thanks to all for messages, real morale boost.

Day 2 complete! if yesterdaywas brutal today was savage! Last night the wind was ferocious! In a bivouac with no sidesthat means very little sleep and getting sand blasted. Thismorning preparing 4 the race was ridiculous - not possible to cook, so cold chilli con carne at 0700 - mmm! I struggled for the first 10k today,my knee was excrutiating, but managed to get on top of and put the hammer down until about 25kms. Struggled with both my knee and then my feet which are now blistering, just after 30k a bliterburst and i had to stop for 20mins to sort it. i then took it slow in 2 the finish at 38km (23miles). My ranking has dropped substantially, but the game has changed; this is less about racing and more about finishing. The conditions throughout today were pretty awful - very windy and totally sand blasted nearly all the way. That said i am enjoying the massive challenge this has become.

Had about 4 seconds sleep last night. Our 8 man tents don't have doors and we had 30mph winds for much of the night. Sand absolutely everywhere..everything is impossible to do, and unless you had a flame thrower you couldn't light the fuel blocks. Cold, rehydrated chicken korma for brekkie....nice start to do the day.

24 miles today in about 5hr 45 mins. Basically got sand blasted the whole way. Struggled over the last 8 miles, though bumped into Pricey who pulled me through. Bits are just relentless, and again being the big fella of the team, find things slow over the often soft terrain.

It's great to arrive in camp, however there is essentially a sand storm blowing through.....Carry on Camping this is not!

The Golden Joggers are still fairing ok....feet are sore but we're still smiling!

Apart from the messages we have sent to the Golden Joggers, we've also sent one to the front runner, asking him to slow down or watch his back. And another, sent individually to all (about 60) British ladies in the race, with a follow on to our Golden Joggers as follows:

The global appeal of Tonsley Events knows no boundaries. Simultaneously as the Tonsley Business Club meets at the Tattershall Castle on the banks of the Thames, you too, the Golden Joggers, as representatives of Tonsley Racing / Tonsley Events will be hosting a social event for British competitors on your rest day.

Letters have been despatched to the lady runners of the British contingent, inviting them and their British team members to an English Tea Party to be held at tent 109 between 4.30pm and 5.30pm on the rest day (Thursday to the outside world). Guests have been asked to bring their own water supplies, iodine solution and tales of woe. They have also been warned that regrettably, the cucumber has gone off and that sandwiches will not be provided.

I trust you will embrace this and fly the flag for Queen and country.

May all of us at Tonsley Events wish you all the very best on this event and we look forward to hearing all about it! (find a snapper to record it for the web) TE

51degrees on the dial for marathon day - spicy! A big mountain climb after 8km but a relatively flat sandy course after that so quite an enjoyable day. Happy to come in under 5hr30 and 164overall, my best of the week. I'm feeling fitter every day and feet are still strong. Fair play to Brucey, he went very hard from the start with the intention of 'leaving nothing in the body' by the end! I went the slighty less risky route (I'm obviously getting weak!) but was happy to only be 9mins behind him at the end. Ben still not in as I write. 1 short leg left then of this quite unbelievable event. Last night the whole camp cheered in the last finisher of the 'long day'. A Japenese guy who was on deaths door with badly bleeding feet and staggered across the line at 33hrs, falling into the arms of the organiser. Incredible courage....what a sensational moment.

Click the image below to play the Pricey's Celebration! (1 minute / 7 MB):

Well the Joggers have made it.

We finished today as we started - as a team. Pricey and Brucey passed by any higher honours by accompanying me home. After yesterday's epic marathon, feet shot to bits I'd left my socks on knowing that if I'd taken them off, I'd never get them on again.

This morning, having taken 4 voltarol and 3 codeine, the 11 mile stage was not going to claim me, and we finished in about 2hrs 45. Another personal worst, but who cares, we'd finished the toughest race on earth.

Never have I been so happy to be hugged and kissed by a Frenchman as we were given our medals.

We're now back in the hotel, clean and tucking into some fresh food.

As our final day on the course arrived, and after thrashing out a good marathon stage, I was just getting used to these distances and had started to enjoy myself; in fact I was slightly dissapointed that todays stage was only a half marathon and that it would be our last in this beautiful scenery.

Last night we were treated to a concert in the middle of the desert! A 20-piece orchestra from the Paris Philharmonic came in and performed for an hour as the sun set over the desert plain. A fantastic touch by the race organisers.

Unusually because it was the last day, the team of Berbers did not pull down our bivvy at 0600 as had become the norm, leaving us to prepare our gear and feet in the shelter of our bivvy rather than open to the elements; not so much fun in a sand storm as on tuesday! So this morning's atmosphere certainly had a more relaxed feeling to it. The first 40 runners set off at 0800 and as they ran through the camp the other 750 runners formed a human tunnel and cheered them through - an emotional moment that rightly acknowledged the remarkable strength and tenacity that these runners have shown.

The Golden Joggers completed the last stage together running through the blazing heat of the morning to cross the finish line and receive our medals from
Patrick (the founder / organiser) in an congratulationary embrace. One last jig for the webcam, a packed-lunch, a 3hr coach journey and then ... a BEER and a SHOWER! Never have either been more welcomed!

Mission complete.

Final day/Final thoughts:

Writing this from the comfort of a hotel with a beer rather than a wind swept tent- life seems somewhat more agreeable!

The final day was something of a formality but still a fantastic atmosphere as the bottom 40 runners set off an hour earlier than the rest. They ran through the rest of the camp receiving a guard of honour of applause which was a great touch. Many of them have shown the greatest determination of anyone to fight through horrendous injuries to finish within time.

For the Golden Joggers, the team stayed together until completion of the 11 miles home leg. To run through the line in unison and receive the medal and mandatory hug from race organiser Patrick was a wonderful moment for all of us. A pack lunch, bus trip to hotel and beer later and we were all wondering what all the fuss was about! We slept well that night.

So, that s it - The Toughest Race On Earth.........DONE!!

On reflection there are some important personal acknowlegements. Firstly, massive thanks to all the GJ supporters, both those who have sponsored us and those who have relentlessly tracked us online and sent messages of support. We are incredibly grateful for all donations and the emails we received were our daily highlight and lifted morale without question. Worst banter award comfortably goes to Alexander Muir whose ridiculous idea this all was in the first place. Al, your chat stinks. We hate you!

Huge thanks as well to Floody for his outstanding work on the Tonsley site to ensure everyone was permanently linked in - great effort.

To Jon Bon Jovi I owe a debt of gratitude! His genius and that of his like got me up many a dark sandy hill. MDS ipod playlists should have a 1990s cut off!

Thanks to my family for their usual outstanding support and especially to Mum. Jude's amazing push on the sponsorship (sacrificing Bday presents in order to raise funds) accounted for nearly half of our total funds raised for the Children's Trust. Unbelievable. Thanks also to all at the Children's Trust - you've been tremendously supportive- I hope the money helps.

To my amazing wife Sarah and son Tom - thank you for your unwaivering support as I've run off at weekends in the sand and spent hours searching MDS kit websites! I am eternally grateful for your unconditional love and for being by my side. You're incredible and I love you both very much.

My final thanks however must go to my team mates. To Rob and Ben.

Royal Marines life taught me that times of hardship and challenge are pretty much all about the people standing next to you. I couldn't have asked for better team mates and the shared laughs, pain, banter miles and memories will remain with me forever. It was a pleasure to pound (and defeat) the Sahara with you and I certainly think the Golden Joggers left their mark.

Rob fought through a significant knee injury to be consisently the quickest 'Jogger' and Ben battled more than a few demons to make the finish with bad feet and heat exhastion. I was proud to run with both of you - cheers for everything.

That's it then. Thanks to all for watching; I hope you enjoyed it. We certianly did.... it's been emotional!! Pricey

Wrap up day here in morocco before we fly home on monday. A day for final admin (finishers t-shirts, prize giving etc.) as well as a brief chance to reflect on the last week...

THE HIGHS
- finishing day 1 in the top 100
- receiving emails from all our supporters back home
- pricey sharing his biltong
- running over the ridge-line of some remote desert mountain on day 3
- the Golden Joggers finishing as the top British team

THE LOWS
- pricey running out of biltong
- CP4 on the long day and stopping to get back 'in the zone' only to start puking 30mins later
- cuttle-fish's feet and his girly whining!

SPECIAL MENTIONS
- Niki, Ran and Raffa for supporting me through my training and giving me the strength to complete what I set out to do
- My Golden Jogger team mates - ben and jim, both whom have rubbish chat, bad body odour, poor table manners and pungent wind issues - lining up with you lads has been a privellidge.
- the Golden Jogger supporters; the email messages that raised our morale but more importantly the unbelievably generous donations you have given the Children's Trust for their great work.
- Jude Price - our 4th team member, who sacrificed her own birthday gifts in exchange for added donations for the cause, many thanks.
- The Children's Trust - for welcoming us to tadworth, showing us around and supporting us through our challenge
- Floody - who's IT genious has kept everyone informed as to our progress.
- tent 109 - Jen, Rory, Lou, Stan, Chris, Ben and Jim; who kept smiling, laughing, supporting and encouraging even when the chips were down.
- competitor 885 from MdS 2010 who kept emailing me throughout the week giving words of encouragement and advice - very special touch.

The Marathon des Sables; 'the toughest footrace on earth'? Maybe, maybe not ... but one thing is for sure, its an incredible journey. So, what's next? Suggestions welcome ... email Rob!