‘Nothing surprises’ Windsor man named oldest Brit to complete Sahara race again

A 77-year-old man from Windsor is the oldest Briton to complete ‘the toughest footrace on earth’ – the Marathon des Sables – for a second time.

Harry Hunter participated in the 250-kilometre race in the Sahara Desert again last month after becoming the oldest British man to complete the ultramarathon a year ago.

The Marathon des Sables (MDS) is the world’s oldest self-supported race, as competitors must carry all their food and kit for the whole duration.

Harry discussed the seven-day marathon with the Express and said this year was ‘a bit tougher’ than his previous attempt.

“The thing is with these races is you live like a caveman,” he said.

“You have no facilities to wash.

“You can only carry so many calories of food and sleep – you’re crammed into these bivouacs [tents].

“Then the actual race itself: the heat, the course, the sand and the endurance. The different aspects make it a tough race.”

Besides the ‘problematic’ sandstorms, competitors faced heavy rainfall on the longest day, covering 82km, for the first time in seven years.

“It was hammering down, it was a howling gale and blowing us all over the place, but we just had to get on with it,” Harry added.

Having served in the Blues and Royals for 22 years, part of the Household Cavalry in the British Army, Harry said his ‘military background is a great asset’.

“I learned that you never give up. They take your civilian brand out and put the military one in, which they never replace,” he said.

“When the going gets tough, you just push on. The brain says stop now, and believe it or not, once you overcome that, you've got another 50km in you.”

After 14 years working at the diamond company, De Beers, Harry retired at 61 and retrained as a personal fitness trainer, where he was ‘the oldest in the course by about 30 years’.

He worked for British Military Fitness for seven years and now runs boot camps as a personal trainer.

“As I get older, something in my head says you’ve just got to keep challenging, you've got to keep going,” he said.

“You train hard. I can't put the same mileage in because my body gets injured. I'm not stupid, my body’s not the body of a 30 or 40 or 50-year-old, so I have to be very aware of that.”

Harry's training involved gym work, running, and fast walking, and on April 12 – three days before his 77th birthday – he completed MDS in 704th place out of 900 competitors.

He finished 508th out of 800 runners in 2024 and says he is ‘a bit of a legend’ as competitors share their admiration and often want photos.

“As the oldest, I was quite happy because everybody in front of me was younger than me, and everyone behind me was younger,” said Harry.

“I'm very lucky because most of the guys I ran with all those years ago are dead or their bodies give up on them – knees, hips have gone – and they can’t do it.

“So I'm the last man standing. I must have something in my genes that keeps me going.”

The great-grandfather is a lifelong fitness enthusiast who has completed the London Marathon 16 times.

Having run marathons in the Kalahari Desert, Iceland and Cappadocia, Turkey, Harry said all terrains have their challenges, and this year's route in the Sahara Desert involved more dunes than before.

After ascending a ‘huge’ dune, Harry said ‘people's breath was taken away’ because the descent was like a ‘ski black run’, being so steep.

“I don’t get any surprises. There's always something over the other side – you just get on with it," said Harry.

“I suppose that's what you get with the experience and the age. But I love doing it, I wouldn’t do it otherwise.

“My family gave up on me years ago. They wanted me to stop because they were worried these races are quite extreme, and obviously, there's danger there, what can happen in the heat. They all think I’m barmy."

A big supporter of children’s charities, including Childline, Harry is raising money for Alexander Devine’s Children’s Hospice Service again this year.

To support his fundraiser, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/harry-hunter-5?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL