MARATHON BLIND MAN;  MARK'S DESERT ENDURANCE RUN

From People - 17/08/2003 (399 words)

JOE OLIVER

RUNNING six marathons in seven days in scorching temperatures is a feat of strength and endurance that would put even the world's top athletes to the sword.

But when you have never before run the exhausting marathon distance and are blind, it takes a rare kind of courage indeed.

That is what Mark Pollock aims to do when he joins 99 other runners next month to take part in the race across the rocky plains, lake beds and sand dunes of the Gobi desert in China .

And the organisers say he could face rabid dogs and venomous snakes, desert bears and even bubonic plague.

Mark, 26, a former business analyst from Holywood, Co Down, lost his sight five years ago.

He suffered from weak retinas as a child and when his vision became totally blurred he was rushed to hospital in Manchester where specialists carried out the highly delicate surgery.

"Sadly they were not able to save my sight and I can remember the exact date I was told I would never see again," he said.

"It was April 10, 1998 , the first day of the Good Friday Agreement."

He could reasonably have been forgiven if he sat at home feeling sorry for himself. But not Mark.

Since then he has won a silver medal rowing for Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games and last year completed an MBA at the Smurfit School of Business.

Mark also completed his Masters at UCD and is currently carrying out research in motivation.

Now, he is taking on his most daring and courageous challenge.

The race will include a standard marathon of 26 miles, followed by a two-day 'ultra marathon' where participants run 50 miles in 48 hours.

The remaining miles will be clocked up in the final four days of the challenge.

And throughout Mark will backpack all his own equipment -- weighing 15 kilos - including food.

"Most people probably think I'm a bit crazy and can't believe someone like me would dream of doing it when I can't see where I'm going," he admitted.

The aim of his incredible challenge is to raise money in aid of Sight Savers International.

He has a target of pounds 35,000 in mind-money he hopes can be used to reverse blindness among children in Africa .