Tyrone pharmacist running gruelling desert race in memory of his mum

Cookstown pharmacist Niall Falls is to run the famous Marathon Des Sables, in meory of his mother.

Niall Falls is scheduled to run the world famous Marathon Des Sables on Sunday - a brutal six-day event over 250km in the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

He has set up a Justgiving page with the proceeds going to Charis Integrated Cancer Care, near Cookstown.

Niall will be giving up the day job in Falls Pharmacy, William Street, to try and complete six marathons back to back in really gruelling conditions.

He will be pushing himself to the limit in memory of his late mum Thèrèse Falls who died a few years ago.

“I’ve mixed emotions about it, both excited and nervous,” he said.

“Mentally it is the ultimate challenge with temperatures reaching up to 50 degrees centigrade and the longest run is a double marathon on day four and will involve running into the night.”

Niall started serious runningin 2008 and has completed six official marathons.

He has done a few “back to back marathons” in his training schedule for the Morocco venture.

Niall has been to the UUJ Jordanstown complex for running in the heat chamber, where the temperature is ramped up on each successive visit to help accustom him to temperatures of up to 40C in preparation for the Sahara Desert where temps during the day can reach 40-50C and drop to Zero at night.

He carries on his back about 6K, and this contains all his food for six days, plus a sleeping bag.

The only outside support is water provided at strategic points along the way.

The Cookstown man has been thinking about doing the Marathon Des Sables for 12 years and decided to enter it last year.

Niall continued: “I am doing this event to challenge myself but most importantly to raise funds for Charis Cancer Care and to highlight the amazing work they carry out.

“My wonderful mother Therese who passed away in 2017 attended Charis and was given outstanding care and treatments, it’s a place that is very important to my family. This local charity provides excellent facilities to the whole community in Mid-Ulster for families and loved ones dealing with cancer.”

Support for Niall has been growing and he has so far raised £3,555 on his Justgiving page.

If you would like to show your support for this worthy cause which provides support for many local people diagnosis with cancer, visit: https://bit.ly/3huKJW6