FOR most people, doing just one marathon would be a challenge – but super-fit Alexa Torlo is planning to do the equivalent of five in a week.

Alexa, aged 29 and from Moseley, is in training to do the race regarded as one of the toughest on Earth: the Marathon Des Sables in the Morrocan Sahara Desert on March 31.

In temperatures of up to 48C, she will attempt to run 150 miles over six days – the equivalent of five and a half marathons – all with a backpack weighing 26lbs.

On day one she will run 15.5 miles, day two 21 miles, on day three it will be 23.5 miles, day four is the toughest with a 50-miler, day five is 26 miles and the last day sees her covering 13.6 miles.

She is hoping to run most of it, but accepts there will be times when she has to drop down to a walk.