The lifeguards in TV series Baywatch make running on sand look like a breeze, but what if you were running a marathon?

That is what runners signed up for in a desert race in Peru, held from Nov 30 to tomorrow.

The second edition of the Half Marathon Des Sables is a 120km, three-stage race over the sand dunes of the Ica Desert, a tropical desert that meets the Pacific Ocean.

Runners can take part alone or in teams, and have to carry whatever food, clothes and equipment they need with them. They have to climb elevations up to 2,500m and camp in the harsh desert environment, where temperatures can drop to 10 deg C at night.

After the gruelling race, runners will be rewarded with a gala dinner and a hotel stay in the town of Paracas. But perhaps the real reward is in knowing you have conquered your limits.