LFC's Head of Marketing

[Armin_Tamzarian]

Jonathan Kane is the man entrusted with marketing the club overseas. If that wasn't demanding enough he's also preparing to embark on one of the most punishing physical tests ever devised, the Marathon des Sables.

 

Having read the race description you might be forgiven for thinking he'd lost his marbles. That's not the case, or at least I don't think so Jonathan is a very smart guy as well as a sound bloke. He's chosen to support Zoe's Place which is an excellent charity which helps people at the most difficult point in their lives.

 

You can read more about the Marathon in the article below. If you'd like to support Jonathan, and help one of the most deserving charities in the region then please visit

 

http://www.justgiving.com/saharafool

 

and leave a donation, however small, and some words of encouragement. He's set an ambitious target and he'll need the help of LFC's supporters if he's to reach it.

 

 

MEET OUR EXTREME MARATHON MAN

Joe Curran 07 January 2009

Dirk Kuyt might cover a lot of miles over the course of 90 minutes for the Reds, but that's nothing compared to our head of international business development Jonathan Kane.

The 32-year old LFC employee is set to take part in the notoriously gruelling Marathon des Sables in order to raise funds for Zoe's Place, a local baby hospice which provides 24-hour one-to-one care for infants with life-threatening or life-limiting conditions.

 

Known as the toughest foot race on Earth, this ultra-marathon covers over 151 miles in in the inhospitable terrain of the Sahara desert and takes just over six days to complete - if you manage to stay the distance, that is.

 

Jonathan will have to trek through the barren wilderness of southern Morocco in extreme temperatures day and night, carrying all his food and clothing for the week.

 

sables

 

 

The soaring temperatures and 150-metre high sand dunes make this race particularly difficult to prepare for, and the Middlesbrough-born running fanatic admitted he didn't quite know what to expect from the event which begins in late March.

 

"I've done a couple of marathons in Paris and London before, but I've never taken on anything this intense," says Jonathan.

 

"It's important to be marathon fit for this type of race, but at the same time it's not just about training on the roads. A lot of this race is run over steep sand dunes, and I've been running on sand in a bid to prepare myself, but it will be hard to prepare for the extremes I will have to face.

 

"I think it will be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime at certain points, but it will be quite cold at night too. My accommodation will be a tent in the middle of the desert."

 

While most runners have to contend with the threat of dehydration, blisters and general tiredness, Jonathan be dealing with the added threat of poisonous insects and the possibility of losing his toenails.

 

"The race is as safe as it can be really, but there are always going to be dangers," he says. "Everyone has to carry a venom pump in case they get bitten by something nasty.

 

"The organisers ensure that everyone has the support they need to get through as best they can. Each competitor is issued with a flare in case of an emergency and there is helicopter support on hand too.

 

"A lot of people doing this race end up losing a few toenails and blisters are a common problem - it's pretty gruelling. You need to have the right equipment or you could find yourself in trouble.

 

"I'm doing as much preparation as I can, but I'm trying not to think about the physical demands too much at the moment."

 

Injuries aside, the Marathon des Sables may appear like the ultimate test of stamina. But Jonathan insists speed is tantamount to getting around the course and says: "The whole race is timed and if you don't reach each stage by a certain time and you're lagging behind then you are actually kicked out of the race, it's as simple as that.

 

"There are six stages, the length of which varies each year, but as a general rule they ease you in with a 15-mile run on day one, followed by distances of around 22 miles, 24 miles, 51 miles, 26 miles before a 13-mile 'fun run' on the final day."

 

But where most people would choose to do a normal road race to raise money for charity - which would be an arduous task in itself, Jonathan's friends and family can't help but wonder why he has chosen to do the most taxing trek on the planet.

 

"There were a couple of reasons why I chose to do this particular race," says Jonathan.

 

"I saw a programme about it on TV and it seemed like a very exciting thing to do. Then when I looked into it I realised there was a four-year waiting list to take part, so I'm very lucky to get a place.

 

"A lot of people I've told about this can't really comprehend why I'm doing it, but I just think about it as an adventure.

 

"All of my family and friends have been telling me not to do it - they think I'm daft .

 

"But I've read a lot of blogs by people who have done this and they've all said the race was the best experience of their life, so that's the way I'm looking at it."

 

zoeAnd even though he has one eye on doing well in the event, Jonathan admits he is mainly doing it to raise around £10,000 for Zoe's Place, which has three hospices in the UK.

 

"I keep changing my mind about how well I want to do," adds Jonathan. "One minute I think about just getting through in one piece, but the competitive part of me doesn't want to make a fool of himself. I want to have a good finishing position.

 

"Around 350 of the 800 competitors will be British, so I'd love to finish quite high among that group. But the bottom line is getting though it and raising as much money as I can for Zoe's Place.

 

"The club and the former players' association have been a great help in terms of getting me to the starting line for the race. Zoe's Place is a local charity which is very close to their hearts. They have three centres in the UK - one of which is in Middlesbrough, where I'm from.

 

"From a local perspective it is very pertinent and I would like to raise as much money as I can for them. I'll be going around the office cap in hand and any donations from the public would be much appreciated."