The first Maltese team to take part in the 250km Marathon Des Sables, a six-day race across the Sahara desert, returned to Malta this afternoon after accomplishing their feat.

Nathan Farrugia and Douglas Barbaro Sant were greeted with balloons and welcome back posters at Malta International Airport by their families and friends.

Both managed to finish the marathon with Mr Farrugia placing 208th out of more than 1,000 participants.

Mr Barbaro Sant, who started the race with a shin injury, said he had no idea about his placing.

The toughest part, Mr Barbaro Sant said, was the fourth day, when 82 kilometres had to be covered. This, he said, took him 29 hours. He had to stop for 20 minutes every four hours for 20 minutes.

Mr Farrugia said the best moment was realising that both him and Douglas had managed to finish the race.

“More than the finish line, it was the realisation that we’ve made it and we were now heading home to our loved ones,” he said.

The gruelling Marathon Des Sables is a yearly event held in the desert of southern Morocco, where daytime temperatures can soar to 52 degrees C, dropping at night fall to 0 degrees C.

The participants had to carry everything they needed for the duration of the marathon in a rucksack on their backs, including food, heat stove, clothes, venom pump, medical kit, emergency flares and sleeping bag.

The event aimed to raise €30,000 for charitable institutions Inspire and Facing Africa.