With his sights set on one of the world’s toughest races, Caleb English’s road to the Sahara is marked by a consistent hunger for the extra kilometre at the end of each finish line.

It’s the same philosophy that has him reaching for a $250,000 fundraising goal, directed at cancer research.

“I felt like I had more to give, so I wanted to really push the envelope,” he said, reflecting on his last effort as part of October’s Run for the Cure in Kamloops.

English raised around $1,000 in honour of his mother-in-law, who was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago. The entire event amassed $48,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society, and English is determined to surpass that on his own.

“There were hundreds of people there, so I did over two per cent of the total. What could I accomplish if I had time, a clear goal, a plan and a team working with me?”

He decided on one of the most gruelling races he could find, the Marathon Des Sables. It’s a 250 kilometre ultra marathon through the Moroccan Sahara Desert, where self-sufficient racers trek for more than a week over six stages.

“I know that the more I train and the better shape I’m in, the harder I’ll be able to push myself and continue with the fundraising. I’m not just running for myself, it’s so much bigger than me,” English said.

From Kamloops to the Sahara: Endurance runner's all-out effort to raise $250K for cancer | iNFOnews.ca

It was on her birthday that his mother-in-law was diagnosed in Kelowna five years ago. English recalled travelling back and forth with his partner as they supported her through an intensive time of treatments.

“I’ve seen firsthand it doesn’t just affect the person who’s diagnosed. They need a lot of help, a lot of emotional support,” he said. “So I was there for my partner and for my mother-in-law.”

Not in remission but with treatments behind her, English turned his attention to fundraising for cancer treatment more broadly.

Since starting the fundraiser in November, he’s collected more than $5,000. He has been promoting it with well-produced social media content and will be bringing the charity drive to an in-person event this weekend.

“I thought the bigger the race and the higher the fundraising goal, the more likely people are to get behind it,” he said. “It’s not like I’m selling lemonade at the end of my driveway, it’s a huge thing. So, I wanted everything to be top-notch quality.”

At the Tournament Capital Centre on Jan. 26, English is training from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. to simulate the 85 kilometres of the Sahara race’s longest stretch. He said anyone is welcome to join for any amount of laps or donate to take part in giveaways from business sponsors like Runner’s Sole.

More information can be found on the event webpage here.

Go here to find Caleb English’s “Go Far Go On” online fundraiser.