Army - The Soldiers' Newspaper

CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy chats with Maj Mike Cole, a British exchange officer with LHQ, who ran on a treadmill at Russell Offices to raise money for cancer research. Photo by Cpl Tracy Tillman, WAUR

Out in the midday sun? Must be a Pom

By Cpl Sean Burton
ONLY mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun – including one raising money for cancer research.

British Army exchange officer Maj Mike Cole is joining 600 competitors from 30 countries taking part in the Marathon of the Sands, a 240km footrace across the Sahara Desert.

In an attempt to raise money for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation, the Army legal officer will run the footrace over seven days carrying his own water, food and gear in a pack.

Gear will be minimal, with a ration of nine litres of water and an open-sided Berber tent being provided daily to competitors.

The 18th Marathon des Sables will take place from April 6-12, in the vicinity of Ouarzazate, Morocco, where the race is broken up into a number of half and full marathon phases and a double marathon day.

Based at LHQ, Maj Cole said his training regime involves running a marathon a day to and from work carrying a weight-laden pack, with a double marathon at weekends.

Maj Cole has paid $7000 of his own money to enter the event but his motivation is not for personal achievement.

What is pushing his training is losing three members of his close family to cancer.

“Whenever I feel like stopping because of the pain I think about the charities I’m running for. The pain and suffering the people the charities are trying to help, makes my pain insignificant,” he said.

As part of his fund raising drive for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and his Marathon des Sables entry, Maj Cole set up a running machine outside ADF HQ in Canberra.

“Running for an Australian charity is a way I can give something back to Australia as a thank you for a couple of excellent years here,” he said before the run.

For three hours on Thursday last week, he pounded the treadmill, wearing the kit he will be carrying in the Sahara. As he ran, volunteer MPs, Legal Corps offices and PTIs collected money from passers-by, including CA Lt-Gen Peter Leahy.

"Maj Cole is setting off on a great adventure, it's good to see his spirit but also his commitment to a charity," Lt-Gen Peter Leahy said.

“It's something that's important to Army when you think about our community and when we think about just what we can do and I think he's doing a great thing.”

If time permits, Maj Cole will try to visit all major Army bases in Australia to raise funds for the cancer charity and highlight his participation in one of the world’s toughest races.

If you see him putting-in on a treadmill during your lunch hour, do the right thing and make a donation - but, just don’t ask him how the English soccer and cricket teams have been going lately.