A British marathon runner has become the first blind athlete to complete the 'toughest footrace on Earth ' , which saw him run almost 160 miles across the Sahara Desert . Dave Heeley , 57 , from West Bromwich , ran the gruelling challenge over six days as he battled through sand dunes , dried river beds and rocks . The super-fit father-of-three , known affectionately by his friends as 'Blind Dave ' , took part in the Marathon des Sables where competitors carry provisions on their backs and temperatures can rise to 50 degrees . Scroll down for video . Dig in : Dave Heeley , pictured with his guide , is the first blind man to finish the Marathon des Sables . Endurance : In the marathon , brave competitors run 156 miles in six days across the Sahara Desert . Thumbs up : Father-of-three Mr Heeley has raised funds for the Albion Foundation , a charity that works in partnership with his beloved West Brom to use sport as a way to help the local community . Mr Heeley - who became the first blind man to run seven marathons on seven continents in 2008 - set off on April 5 and hopes to raise more than £30,000 for charity . He was joined by two guides and friends Rosemary Rhodes and Tony Ellis . The 57-year-old crossed the finish line on Friday after running 156 miles and camping in the desert . Tough : In the Marathon des Sables , athletes have to carry their provisions on their back and sleep in tents . Rocky : Mr Heeley struggled with the terrain as he had n't done any mountain climbing , but still finished the race . Completed : Mr Heeley finished the 'toughest foot race on Earth ' on Friday after running almost 160 miles . The Marathon des Sables translates into English as Marathon of the Sands . It was started in 1986 by Patrick Bauer - a French concert promoter . The course is about 156 miles , the equivalent of six regular marathons . It is a six day race and there is only one rest day . Competitors must carry all their provisions for the whole race on their back . Temperatures in the desert can reach 50 degrees during the day and more than 40 per cent humidity , while dropping to below freezing at night time . Other famous Britons to compete include rower James Cracknell . His wife , Debbie , 48 , said : 'The terrain was something that he did not know how to manage . 'The team had n't done any mountain climbing in their training . 'It took them a bit longer than he expected as a result . They were eight or nine hour days running in that heat . 'It was sweltering and he also had to go through sandstorms . The conditions were difficult . ' She added : 'They had to do 56.5 miles straight and run through the night at one stage . 'They had to go up a big hill at that part and going down can be just as bad , especially if you ca n't see . ' I am very proud . It is certainly a tough challenge . 'He has done a number of difficult challenges in the past but this tops it . I am very pleased for him . ' Mr Heeley has been raising money for the Albion Foundation , a charity that works in partnership with his beloved West Bromwich Albion FC to use sport as a way to benefit the community . So far , he has raised £20,000 but hopes to reach a further £10,000 . Resting up : Mr Heeley ran through the Sahara Desert and then had to sleep in his tent and make his own food . In 2008 , the father-of-three completed the Seven Magnificent Marathons challenge which saw him finish seven marathons in a week on seven continents . His route took him from Port Stanley , Falkland Islands ( Antarctica ) , to Santiago , Chile ( South America ) , Los Angeles , USA ( North America ) , Sydney , Australia ( Australasia ) , Dubai , United Arab Emirates ( Asia ) , Nairobi , Kenya ( Africa ) , before finishing with the London Marathon . In another record breaking achievement , explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes became the oldest Briton to finish the Marathon des Sables when he completed this year 's course at the age of 71 .
Dave Heeley , 57 , completed the 156-mile Marathon des Sables on Friday . The father-of-three known as 'Blind Dave ' is the first blind man to do so . He was born with a condition called retinitis pigmentosa which means his eyes are not fully developed and he has no peripheral vision in one eye.