AN endurance runner from Suckley, near Malvern, has completed a gruelling 250km race across the Sahara desert in record time.

Daniel Parr came first in the Sahara Race, completing it in just over 25 hours, and also raising £5,000 for children’s medical research charity, Sparks.

During the race Mr Parr had to carry everything he needed for the seven days on his back, running on sand in temperatures up to 50 degrees Centigrade in the hottest desert on earth.

He said: "The race was extremely tough and pushed me pretty hard throughout. The worst thing about the long day was the wind. Amazingly it seemed to blow directly into my face for the entire 86kms, irrespective of which direction I was running. Crossing the line at the end of the long day was fantastic. Knowing that all the hard work had paid off, and then learning I had run the fastest Sahara Race time on record, it was a real thrill.

"My wife, Katy, and I are extremely lucky to have two healthy children but we have several friends who have not been so fortunate.

"By supporting a children's medical charity such as Sparks, I feel I am able to help parents and kids in a small way. Running a few miles in the desert is nothing compared to what some parents have to go through with their children and having that motivation during the low moments of the race was a real help."

Dan, who lives in Hong Kong, also ran and won the Gobi Desert Race last year, raising money for Sparks. In total he has raised about £15,000 for the charity over the last two races.

Alisa Fleishman of Sparks said: “The fantastic funds that Dan has raised will help Sparks help even more babies and children be born healthy and grow up healthy. We are incredibly impressed by Dan’s amazing efforts and we hope that he might inspire others to get involved.”