A Maritime man has successfully completed the final leg of an ultramarathon spanning the Sahara Desert.
Approximately 960 runners from across the globe took part in the Marathon Des Sables- or Marathon of the Sands- in southern Morocco.
Mathieu McCaie of Dieppe, N.B., crossed the finish line around 3 a.m. Friday. The final stage of the race was 42 kilometres long.
The 250-kilometre endurance marathon is run in six stages. McCaie ran 31 kilometreson Sunday. On Monday he ran 39 kilometres, while Tuesday and Wednesday was the longest leg, at a grueling 86 kilometres.
McCaie’s wife Julie Martin says her husband's feet are a mess after the final stage.
McCaie registered for what's known as the toughest footrace in the world back in 2016 and he's been planning and training ever since.
“He’s the perfect guy for it… he’s very organized, very strong,” says Martin.
Morocco is about 5,000 kilometres from Dieppe; however, runners can be followed online with limited communication.
“He can only send one email per day. I can send a hundred if I want to…he'll get all of them,” Martin says.
McCaie's mother Lise says her son has always been determined and adventurous. She says she remembers the moment he told her he was planning to run across the Sahara Desert.
“Are you crazy? He said, ‘I know I want to do this.’ He asked me three times and then I said, ‘Oh well, go do it, I know you can do it.’"
Martin admits she had concerns about her husband running across the desert, but mainly she was nervous of things that sting and bite.
Martin says McCaie is looking forward to coming home Tuesday to plan his next adventure.
This is the 33rd year for the ultramarathon, but it was McCaie’s first attempt.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.
