AT this moment, the world’s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, is taking on ‘the toughest footrace on earth’ – the Marathon des Sables – in a bid to become the oldest Briton to ever complete the race.

The Exmoor resident, who celebrated his 71st birthday in early March, is running the equivalent of a marathon a day for six days in the scorching heat of the Western Sahara in aid of Marie Curie.

“To run the marathon for Marie Curie, they needed an ‘est’,” Fiennes told the County Gazette, “the youngest, the fastest, the oldest, and I am more suited to the latter.”

Somerset County Gazette:

FIENNES has undergone a number of health checks due to his history of heart problems. 

Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, 3rd Baronet, OBE is just one of the highly talented Fiennes family that boasts actors Ralph and Joseph Fiennes and the photographer and illustrator, Mark Fiennes.

Rumour has it that if you trace his family history back enough you’ll find he’s actually related to Superman.

Achieving the world record for unsupported northerly polar travel in 1990; a world first by completing the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic continent – the longest unsupported polar journey in history; achieving the first 7x7x7– seven marathons in only seven days on all seven continents – only three and a half months after a massive heart attack, three day coma and a double bypass; and climbing Everest (Tibet-side) to within 300m of the summit in 2005 and climbing Everest (Nepal-side) to within 400m of the summit in 2008 – these are just some of the achievements Fiennes has added to his CV.

But this challenge is different.

his is far from the freezing temperatures Fiennes is accustomed to enduring.

The Marathon des Sables is a gruelling six day ‘ultramarathon’ which covers 251 km/156 miles in over 50 degrees centigrade heat, with runners having to carry everything they need including their food and water on their backs.

“There is no way of preparing for the heat. It’s quite different to the training I’m doing across Exmoor.

“It was snowing the other day when I was running across Dunkery Beacon. That’s quite different to what I’ll be doing in April.”

Where most people would sound excited, pumped, scared even, Fiennes sounds calm and blasé.

Somerset County Gazette:

FIENNES suffered a heart attack - and then three months later ran seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.

But it was what happened in Antarctica in 2013 that showed us that the kryptonite in his veins was wearing thin. Fiennes was pulled from The Coldest Journey expedition which would have made him the first human to walk across Antarctica in winter, after contracting frostbite.

He fell ill while skiing during training at base camp when he removed his gloves in -30 degrees Celsius to use his bare hands to fix a ski binding.

After being airlifted to hospital in Cape Town, it was discovered that undiagnosed diabetes was responsible for the frostbite.

At 68 and after five years of training, the challenge was over for Fiennes.

“The research still went ahead,” Fiennes is quick to cut in – clarifying that the whole trip wasn’t a waste of time.

And then we are reminded of the time when Fiennes cut off all four of his fingers on his left hand with a fret saw after sustaining severe frostbite to the tips of his fingers.

It’s that hand that has been causing a bit of trouble for him while training – but not in a way you might think.

“My hand hurts because of the diabetes now – I find I’m having to wear mitts and a hand-warmer,” says a disgruntled Fiennes.

“I never wear hand-warmers. Not even in minus 30. I don’t do hand-warmers.”

However, being the Superman that he is, life threatening illnesses don’t seem to faze him. He seems to be more apprehensive about the possibility of knocking his pride. “The thing I fear the most about doing the marathon (des Sables) is not being able to complete it.

“I don’t want to have to be forcibly removed from the race by the vultures (race marshals) for being too slow.”

Without fear of being patronising, his attitude at his age is admirable, awe inspiring, if not somewhat darn stupid.

To support Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ attempt to raise £2.5million for Marie Curie by becoming the oldeset person to complete the Marathon des Sables, donate visit www.justgiving.com/ranulph or text RUN to 70007 to donate £5 plus a message of support to Sir Ranulph.

Somerset County Gazette:

SIR Ranulph running on Dunkery Beacon with his trainer Rory Coleman.