Dog named Cactus joins, completes marathon through Sahara Desert

A dog named Cactus became the first canine to run the Marathon des Sables through the Sahara Desert last week.

Considered one of the world's most difficult races, the Marathon des Sables challenges competitors to run the equivalent of 23.5 miles per day for six days while contending with the heat, wind, and sand dunes of the Sahara.

Cactus joined the race following the opening stage, running 15 miles Monday, 23 miles Tuesday, and the entire 47.4-mile stage Wednesday, according to Jere Longman of the New York Times. The nearly 800 human competitors had 31 hours to complete Wednesday's stage, but Cactus only needed around 11 hours and 15 minutes.

Karen Hadfield, the owner of an inn where Cactus lives, wrote on the race's Facebook page that he's a "nomad dog" who often travels around 24 miles a day for fun. She said she knew he was "having the greatest time."

Cactus received water at checkpoints throughout the course and was fed by runners and race officials. He also had his paws checked for blisters by medical staff.

"That dog was a beast; he ran right past me and I couldn't keep up," Theo Holzapfel, one of the runners, told Longman. "I kept following his footprints; I figured he knew where the hard sand was."

Cactus completed the race Friday and is now back home.