Marathons are 26.2 miles long. Ultra marathons are 160 miles. It takes months, if not YEARS to train for this distance. Unless, of course, you are a stray dog named Cactus!
On day two of the Marathon des Sables, a furry contestant joined over 1,000 runners in their 6-day, 160 mile trek. Cactus became the talk of the runners' camp that night. Runners took care of him through the six day trek and even named him Cactus. They provided food, water and paw checks for the next 5 days. Cactus finished 57th in the Marathon des Sables and scored a finishers medal!