From: Weston & Somerset Mercury
A WESTON dad who tackled 'the toughest and most dangerous foot race in the world' says he is lucky to have survived his Amazon adventure.
Intrepid Darren Baker, aged 39, was one of a 136-strong international field who took part in a five-day 222km race through untamed South American rainforest.
However, the Jungle Marathon - rated by many as 'the ultimate test of physical endurance and mental strength' - nearly claimed his life, as Darren ended the challenge in a coma.
The Charlton Road resident, now safely back on home soil, told the Mercury: "I wanted a challenge and I wanted adventure.
"To be honest though, I never thought I would be coming home with quite as dramatic a tale as I did. In fact, at one point it was touch and go whether I was coming home at all."
Darren completed months of endurance training, and a pre-race briefing about the deadly jungle critters he might encounter ended with the advice: "Run faster."
But he took to the start line alongside SAS-trained competitors and professional athletes, lugging a two-and-a-half stone backpack and with feet taped up to prevent them rotting in the wet conditions.
He said: "The route ahead included swamps, rivers, and mile upon mile of incredibly steep hills and gorges.
"Whilst at first glance there didn't seem to be much wildlife, as soon as you stopped and looked it was everywhere.
"Every few feet you would cross a line of army or fire ants and I learnt very quickly not to stop in any one place too long - boy, those little guys can hurt!
"On the first day alone, one runner saw a four-metre snake and many of us saw, or at least, heard monkeys, scorpions and spiders.
"'My' spider unfortunately had already sunken its fangs into my wrist before I saw it, but as it was only a small tarantula I knew it wasn't poisonous."
Darren finished the first stage of the race in a more-than-creditable 22nd place after four hours of intense competition - but trouble lay ahead.
He continued: "Some two hours after finishing, was when things started to go wrong. I felt hot and my head began to thump.
"I found the medics but even under their supervision within another hour I continued to get worse and my co-ordination began to go.
"The next thing I remember was the Doctors telling me I was on the boat being raced to hospital. After that I can remember nothing for two days.
"Having talked to the doctors later it would appear that I suffered from severe hyponatraemia which is basically low sodium levels in the blood.
"This, together with water intoxication, put me in a coma for two days and could easily have done much worse. I owe my life to the handful of UK race doctors who looked after me."
In total, some two thirds of the field failed to complete the race, but Darren is undeterred.
He added: "My days of long-distance and adventure racing are definitely not over and I am already planning 2010.