A South Hams man is training to tackle the hardest five day running race in the world.

Ivybridge adventurer Richard Lander Stow will be running The Dragon’s Back race in aid of the Plymouth Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team on Monday, May 22.

The race has a fearsome reputation, with 65 per cent of the runners expected to fail in their attempt. The incredible five-day journey is 315 kilometres long, with 15,500 metres of ascent across wild, trackless, remote and mountainous terrain. It travels north to south along the mountainous spine of Wales.

Richard has been training hard after successfully completing Iceland’s toughest foot race, The Fire and Ice Ultra, in September 2016, giving himself every chance of successfully completing the Dragon’s Back.

With that said, a finish is far from guaranteed with the first day alone covering 33 miles and a 3,823 metre ascent, including many infamous Welsh mountains such as Tryfan, The Glyders, Crib Goch and Snowdon.

Richard hasn’t just randomly chosen Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth. They were an integral part to his Ivybridge Everest Challenge in January 2016, when Richard travelled up and down the most southerly tor on Dartmoor, Western Beacon, 28 times over 19 hours in torrid weather conditions.

DSRT Plymouth supported the whole event, making sure that Richard and his supporters were safe on the hillside. They were the first people on the hill and the last ones off it.

The Ivybridge Everest Challenge was done in aid of St Luke’s Hospice, where Richard’s father passed away from a brain tumour one year before.

The Dragon’s Back race starts at 7am on Monday, May 22 and finishes sometime in the afternoon/evening of Friday, May 26.

During the race, the competitors will be wearing GPS trackers so you will be able to see how Richard is doing. You can support Richard and follow his progress at either of the following links: www.justgiving.com/dragonsback2017 or www.facebook.com/BikeRunSwim.