If you’re seeking an escape from the afternoon heat, spare a thought for two athletes who are, right now, running through the islands’ dusty trails to raise money to fund migrants’ access to education.

Early on Saturday morning, hospitality consultant Claudio Camilleri and CEO Patrick Tabone were at Independence Gardens, Sliema, at 3.45am to start the 190-kilometre trail run, which they hope to complete by Sunday afternoon… 35 hours later.

The two runners will be facing sleep deprivation and over 4.5km vertical elevation — the equivalent of climbing over 1,700 flights of steps — as they plan to cover 150km in Malta and 40km in Gozo.

So far, the two seem in fine spirits so far and they have a core team of family, friends and fellow athletes to boost any flagging spirits along the way.

The end goal of this challenge, 1Run 1Race, is to raise at least €15,000 through www.1run.mt for JRS and Kopin to equip young migrants with the skills, education and training to be employable.

JRS and Kopin run a specifically designed Education Support Programme (ESP) offering a number of packages to enable young migrants to access or continue pursuing their education, and the money raised will go towards tuition, tablets, laptops, books, and examination fees, among others.

To support their cause and track their live run you can top to their website. Donations may be made by visiting www.1run.mt. All the money collected will be going directly to JRS and Kopin.