Three of his toenails are about to fall off — but Grant Mowbray couldn't be happier to have completed what many consider the most gruelling foot race in the world.

The 41-year-old took part in the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert in Morocco last week and came 372nd out of 1,030 participants, raising $5,000 for charity.

After completing the equivalent of about six marathons in seven days across harsh terrain in temperatures reaching 50C (112F), he is back in Bermuda nursing a sore knee and numerous blisters.

"It was an awesome race and I did much better than I thought I would," he told The Royal Gazette. "It was everything I expected in terms of heat and stress on the body. You go a little bit insane.

"On the longest day, covering 50 miles, I had arguments with myself. But I had a wonderful time and met some absolutely great people."

Mr. Mowbray, of Paget, almost didn't make it to the event after his Delta flight from JFK to Morocco was cancelled. He had to fork out $1,400 for another ticket, travelling via Montreal to Casablanca.

His luggage went missing on the way and he had to stock up on essential supplies when he landed, making it to the start line in time to set off on his 250 km (155 mile) odyssey.

Each day would begin at about 5.30 a.m., when he would rise from the open-side tent he slept in with seven other men from around the world, eat breakfast, slap on factor 30 sun protection and wrap up his feet to prevent injury.

Mr. Mowbray, carrying a heavy backpack, would then cross mile upon mile of desert, combining running with walking and crossing treacherous ravines clinging to ropes on the side of mountains.

"I didn't run as much as I thought I would," he said. "When I got there, it was so hot and the terrain was so rough, that almost no one runs the whole thing."

The head of market risk for Butterfield Group didn't wash or change his underwear or running gear for a week and finished the race covered in a layer of sun factor, dust and salt.

"Everybody stinks and everyone is tired and it doesn't really matter," he said.

The worst day required him to cover 82 km (50 miles) — a journey that took him almost 18 hours. "I finished at 3 a.m. At about sunset that day we were all saying it was beautiful and were happy but a couple of hours later you are angry and cranky.

"By midnight, you are seeing double and staggering. People you know might stop and talk to you and you won't really remember it."

Fellow participants had to pull out from the race for a variety of reasons including severe blisters, dehydration and scorpion bites.

But Mr. Mowbray, who is originally from Kamloops in British Columbia, managed the whole thing without permanent injury. "I have swollen ankles and I'll lose three toenails but nothing gave out — I was pretty happy."

He even came across a camel spider — the one thing he had worried about — without batting an eyelid.

"That was the beginning of day five. By that time, all I could say [to my friend] was 'put your hand there for perspective' while I take a picture."

Each day he was allowed to send one e-mail — which usually went to his wife Lauren — and the race organisers would visit the tents each night, delivering messages of support from family and friends.

By 7.30 p.m. the sun would go down and Mr. Mowbray would be in his sleeping bag, utterly exhausted. He walked the whole of the last day due to tendonitis in his knee, but still managed to do 21 km (13 miles) in under four hours.

He reckons he lost at least 5 lbs during the week but has put it back on since his return to the Island, replacing the freeze-dried food he ate in Morocco with cookies, potato chips and wine.

The Canadian is not the first Bermuda resident to take part in the annual Marathon des Sables, which began 25 years ago. Many have completed it and Danny Kendall finished 85th out of 800 starters in 2007.

But Mr. Mowbray — who was raising funds for two dog charities and contributed $1,000 himself — has no plans to try it again.

"It's not a natural, normal thing to do," he said. "It's overstressing your body. It was overall exactly the adventure I was expecting. It lived up to its reputation as the world's hardest foot race."