IMAGINE running 12 marathons over eight days in temperatures of -30C. Chief Reporter MICHELLE FIDDLER meets an amazing group of friends, who took on the ultimate challenge to help a little boy . . .
Just 34 people from across the world took part in the challenge, to run 320 miles in less than eight days across the hills and frozen lakes and rivers of Canada while pulling a sled. Only 18 finished.
Paul and his team-mates only ate when they reached one of nine checkpoints and slept only when they could not run any longer.
With just a sleeping bag to keep warm, despite temperatures below -30C, they managed less than two hours sleep a night.
The group was running for the charity Debra, which helps adults and young children with the genetic skin condition epidermolysis bullosa.
They planned to raise £20,000 for the charity to help James Dunn, 11, of Calderstones, Liverpool, one of only a few people in the north west with the condition.
Paul, who completed the race in 6 1 /2 days, finishing an impressive fourth, said: "As I was running down a frozen river, I saw whales coming out of the water.
"I knew I was hallucinating. One of the other guys was convinced he was in Scotland and he had checked into a hotel. He even sat on his sleigh to wait for his taxi.
"Another kept seeing Sony Walkmans hanging from trees - and one was convinced he was dead."
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