After running six marathons in six days across the desert the last person Anthony Brown and Scott Welch expected to bump into was Brad Pitt.

They had just survived one of the toughest races in the world across the Moroccan Sahara when the film star spotted them.

Scott, a former boxing champ, had become friendly with the actor when he appeared in cult British gangster film Snatch as Brad Pitt's opponent in an illegal boxing match.

But Hollywood glamour was the last thing on the exhausted pair's minds when they arrived in Marrakesh after completing the Marathon des Sables.

Fitness trainer and health adviser on chat show Trisha, Anthony, 29, said: "We were walking through the hotel and someone shouted 'Scott'.

"We had a drink with Brad and when he heard what we had done he couldn't believe it. He said: 'You guys are crazy - I'm getting paid to be out there. You Brits are all nuts'."

Pitt was in Morocco working on his latest project at the desert film studios used to film Star Wars lying between Marrakesh and the Atlas mountains.

Scott, 36, and Anthony, both of Old Fort Road, Shoreham, completed the gruelling six-day, 151-mile race despite 45 degree heat, raw blisters and sunburn.

The pair joined 800 marines, paras, special forces and athletes - half from the UK - on the punishing course.

Anthony, who runs a boxing club at the Prince Albert in Hove with Scott, his uncle, said conditions were so tough the entire US team pulled out on the second day.

He said: "There were a lot of hills this time which were really just massive dunes which was good for me because I'm built for hill-running and I enjoy it.

"On the third day we covered seven miles of sand dunes, some 150m high which we were clawing our way up on hands and knees."

Anthony lost six of his toenails and nursed a blister that covered the ball of one foot which he lanced and bandaged every day. He said: "That sort of pain is irritating but you can handle it if you have to."

Day four, the most most gruelling day of all with a 54-mile trek ahead of them, was preceded by a sandstorm that went on all night and deprived them of much-needed sleep.

Celebrations over surviving the 54-mile slog were shortlived when the runners realised they had a whole marathon to complete the next day.

The race was won once again by the title-holders - two Moroccan brothers, Lahcen and Mohamad Ahansal.

Anthony and Scott raised £7,000 for the Alzheimers's Trust. Anthony said: "It was the most gruelling experience I have ever been through.