Lucia Rowe completes Marathon des Sables run on second attempt for Reuben’s Retreat

Lucia Rowe has successfully completed the six-day Marathon des Sables race across the Sahara in Morocco to fundraise for Reuben’s Retreat after first attempting it last year.

Dubbed “the toughest footrace on Earth”, 1,500 participants took part this year to trek 270km across the desert.

The former UK managing director of A-Rosa last year raised almost £6,000 when she first took on the race, completing 168km of the 250km course before having to stop due to suspected hypothermia.

Her JustGiving page for this year’s ultra-marathon event has surpassed £3,000 in donations so far, contributing to more than £20,000 she has raised for the charity over the years.

Rowe came back to complete the race this year as she marked five years of cancer remission from leukaemia.

She said: “After last year’s not being able to complete the race, I felt that I had to go back conquer this mammoth of a challenge and prove to myself, like I did with my leukaemia battle, that good fights are worth fighting for.

“I also promised Nic at Reuben’s Retreat that I was going to go back and give it one more try for them. In my mind, my job wasn’t done there and there was more in me [to give].”

She said it was “a huge challenge” to keep going through “countless blisters” and pain, and that she even overcame a stomach bug in the last 48 hours to finish the race.

Rowe said Marathon des Sables has been “a huge part” of her life in the last few years and Reuben’s Retreat, which supports families who have suffered from the loss of a child or have a child living with medical complexities, has become “so special” to her.

Founder of Reuben’s Retreat Nicola Graham said she and her team were “in awe” of the “strength and determination” Rowe has shown over the last few years in her fundraising efforts.

Graham added: “We are so privileged and unbelievably touched that Lucia has taken our cause to her heart and champions us in a way that so inspiring.

“She is an angel on Earth and her story and compassion will help to inspire future fundraising endeavours and we cannot wait to tell everyone her story.”