THE days of the great explorers may be long gone but one former Borders doctor is somehow still finding uncharted territory.

Andrew Murray has already run in almost every corner of the planet.

And he broke the world record for consecutive ultra marathons when he covered the 2659 miles from John O’Groats to the Sahara during the winter of 2009/10.

The 34-year-old, who was a GP in Hawick as well as Borders General Hospital, is now preparing to tackle the Namib desert.

Along with training partner Donnie Campbell he plans to cross the driest place on earth in 10 days.

And they have agreed to share their adventure with the people of Peebles on their return as part of a film festival in the town.

The Namib desert is widely considered one of the most savage places on earth.  With the world’s highest sand dunes and lowest rainfall, it is unsurprising that no-one has chosen to run across - until now.

For Dr Murray, who runs for Merrell UK, the 550 kilometre challenge is much more than a run in the sand.

He told us: “It is not just putting one foot in front of the other - but also a massive science experiment.  “It is up to ourselves to involve the right people and do the right training to counter the extreme terrain, temperatures, and challenges that emerge.  “We’ll likely be drinking about 10.5 litres of water a day.” Murray and Campbell, who is a former Marine, regularly undertake extreme challenges all over the world. And they hope their exploits will inspire others to pick up a pair of trainers.

Andy added: “We look to promote the value of regular exercise.

“We’re not asking people to run ultra-marathons, but with even 150 minutes a week of any exercise, for example walking, adding seven years to life, and even five minutes exercise getting the happy hormones going, each step is a step to health and happiness. And in Scotland great organisations like World Walking, 5x50, Paths for All and Ramblers Scotland can help support this.” Murray and Campbell have been challenged by veteran expedition leader David Scott to take on The Namib 550 - sponsored by Lyprinol.

The challenge starts on February 2 with the duo facing just over 50 kilometres a day across some of the highest sand dunes in the world.

Campbell, who is a native of Skye, believes overcoming the desert will be down to preparation. The 30-year-old personal trainer said: “The Namib desert seems a long way away at the moment.

“The challenge Andrew and I face is training in the variable Scottish winter to get into top physical condition to give ourselves a chance of making it out of the desert in one piece.

“We are both out in the freezing, wet, windy early mornings and this is a far cry from the extreme heat we will face in the Namib Desert.

“It’s is also worse as we log 30 hours of running a week during the festive period while everyone else will be relaxing and enjoying a few mulled wines and turkey. This is necessary though as to be successful in any challenge the hard work has to be done in the preparation and training when no one is watching.

“I know when we leave for the Namib desert we will both be in prime physical condition and along with David Scott’s expertise we will have the best chance of being the first to run the Namib.”   The Namib 550 - sponsored by Lyprinol will be supported by expedition organisers Sandbaggers, while Edinburgh based film-makers, BigShot Productions, will accompany the expedition.

Following the challenge some local community work will see a donation of medical equipment from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow, and sports gear from Merrell and others that has been requested by local communities along the Kuiseb river.  David Scott from Sandbaggers added: “The desert will always find a way to break you down and can kill you, if you let it.  “There is no water along our route in the Namib and it supports no human life.   “Proper preparation, professional support and a definite plan of action will be essential not just for the success of this endeavour, but for the very survival of its members.”