Brothers first UK siblings to finish Dakar Rally

A pair of brothers have become the first British siblings to complete the Dakar Rally.

Craig and Carl Searles took part in the 8,000km (4,970-mile) race in Saudi Arabia.

The Herefordshire duo underwent a gruelling three-year training programme to prepare for the off-road endurance competition and made it through tough tracks on motorcycles.

"To become the first brothers from the UK who have done it and to be side by side is fantastic, I'm really proud of what we've achieved," the brothers, from Pembridge, told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

The rally, which took place from 3 January to 17 January, involved riding over a range of terrains from sand dunes, mud, rocks and dry river beds.

Competitors raced to the finish line on motorcycles, in cars, trucks, and quads across thousands of miles of desert.

They Searles said: "In total, it's like riding from London to China in two weeks. One of the longest days we had was 981km (609.6m), we sat on the bike for about 15 hours a day.

"It's not just the mental preparation but physically we've been on a programme for three years, three times a week whether that's running, cycling or any exercise that you do will prepare you for the Dakar Rally."

"In Abu Dhabi there were sand that went on for days, we didn't touch gravel or anything the sand dunes, in comparison would be like the Brecon Beacons, a wall of sand as you ride towards it and you get up to the top of them then you're up there for four hours."

When asked how it felt to cross the finish line, they said: "The first one was the relief of getting it done, it was a long journey but I'm really proud of what we've achieved as brothers."

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