WHILST his firefighting colleagues were in festive mood hosting a Christmas market at the fire station on Saturday, popular local triathlete Nicky Rees ran a whole 26.2-mile marathon!

Nicky was running on a treadmill to raise funds for his epic Marathon des Sables challenge - seven marathons in six days across the Sahara Desert. The event is ranked as the toughest footrace on earth and requires participants to be self-sufficient, carrying on their back everything except water that they need to survive. They are given a place in a tent to sleep at night, but any other equipment and food must be carried.

A multiple Ironman, Nicky, a lecturer at Pembrokeshire College, touched the hearts of the people of Pembrokeshire when he and his close friend, Gareth Scotcher, who suffers from Motor Neurone Disease, completed the gruelling Long Course Weekend together in 2012.

And on Saturday, Nicky raised a total of £120 which he will be splitting between the MND charity and Cancer Research.

Said Nicky: "I would like to thank the people of Tenby for all the support again. If people see me running around with a backpack on, I haven't gone mad just training."

Nicky is doing the Marathon des Sables with friends Matthew Evans and Steven Rogers in April.