Marathon des Sables

History

The first edition of the Marathon des Sables was held in 1986 in the Moroccan Sahara, with 23 competitors — among them French adventurer Patrick Bauer, who two years earlier had crossed part of the Sahara alone (about 350 km in 12 days). The race was won by Bernard Gaudin and Christiane Plumere.

In November 2017, the first international editions were launched: a full 250 km event in the Peruvian desert of Ica, and the Half MDS in Fuerteventura (Spain). Later editions expanded to Namibia, Jordan, Turkey and France.

Later editions expanded to Namibia, Jordan, Turkey and France.

Formats

Today, the Marathon des Sables is no longer a single race but a global series of events, each adapted to different audiences and terrains. The main formats are:

• MDS Legendary – 250 km in 6 stages, self-sufficient, Morocco.
• MDS 120 – 70, 100 or 120 km in 3 stages.
• MDS Trek – 70 to 120 km in 4 stages, with lighter logistics (not strict self-sufficiency).
• MDS RAID – 90 or 107 km in teams.
• MDS Handi – 70 km in inclusive teams.
• MDS Crazy Loops – loops of 3 to 5 km over 24 hours.
• MDS Ultra – 100 km or 100 miles in a single non-stop stage.

Winners

Notable participants

• Moroccan brothers Lahcen and Mohamad Ahansal, who won 10 and 6 editions, respectively, Mohamad also being 7 times second behind his brother.
• Rachid El Morabity holds the record for most wins with 11.
• Mauro Prosperi, a former Olympian from Sicily, is known for his 10 day disappearance while running in 1994.
• In 1994, René Nevola, Mike Stroud, Mike Lean and Richard Cooper became the first British runners to complete the Marathon des Sables. René Nevola was the first Briton to complete the race and finished in 22nd place.
• Marco Olmo, an Italian ultratrail specialist, ran all editions since 1996, with best placement 3rd (achieved three times). At the 2013 edition, Olmo was 64 years old, and he was 47 when he ran his first.
• Chris Moon from Lanarkshire became the first amputee to complete the Marathon des Sables in 1996. Moon had lost his right arm and leg while supervising the clearing of landmines in Mozambique.
• Dima and Lama Hattab, Jordanian twins, were the first female Middle Eastern participants in the race in 2001.

• Jack Osbourne entered in 2006 but quit early on in the second stage. He was running as part of his Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie TV series.
• Luis Enrique Martínez García (known as Luis Enrique), Spanish former professional footballer, and former manager of FC Barcelona, completed the marathon in 2008.
• James Cracknell, British rower and adventurer, competed in the 2010 race and became the highest-placing Briton ever to compete in the race, finishing 12th until fellow Briton Danny Kendall placed 5th in 2014. In 2017 Tom Evans became the first Briton to finish in the first three, finishing third overall.
• Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes became the oldest Briton to complete the Marathon des Sables in 2015, at age 71, coached by MDS Coach and 18 x MDS finisher Rory Coleman. In doing so he raised over £1million for the Marie Curie charity. However, in 2024 Harry Hunter became the oldest British finisher at 76 years old
• Cactus became the first dog to compete the Marathon des Sables in 2019. Cactus, a stray dog, started joining in with the runners during the second stage of the race and then went on to complete the remaining stages of the race. Cactus was awarded the official race number 000 and received his finishers' medal.
• Belgian YouTuber Robert Van Impe, known as Average Rob, completed the 2025 race with his brother Arno. The pair trained for 6 months prior. As of 27 June 2025, their documentary covering their attempt has 1.2 million views.

Incidents

• During the 1994 marathon, Mauro Prosperi was set 291 km off course by a harsh sandstorm. He was lost for 10 days before being found in Algeria, following a well-publicized search of the desert.
• During the 2021 marathon, a French runner in his early 50s suffered from cardiac arrest which resulted in his death.

Bibliography

• Ted Archer: Carved by god, cursed by the devil – a true story of running the Sahara Desert. Redwood City CA, University of Dreams Foundation 2009.
• Patrick Bauer ... [et al.]: Le Marathon des Sables. Paris, SPE (Société de production éditoriale) 2000. (English version by David Waldron).
• John Bonallak: The desert run. Wellington, New Zealand, Learning Media Ltd. 1999. .
• Steve Cushing: 24th Marathon des Sables – a competitor's tale. Leicester UK, Matador 2010, .
• Guy Giaoui; Foued Berahou: Ultramarathon stage racing - from our experiences of the Marathon des Sables, the Trans Aq', and other races - a practical guide. St-Genest-Malifaux, Raidlight 2008. .
• Mark Hines: The Marathon des Sables - seven days in the Sahara - enduring the toughest footrace on earth. London, Health Body Publishing 2007. (hbk.). (pbk. 2010).
• Marcel Nickler: Running the Sahara - a diary from the desert and beyond. Norderstedt, BoD 2019.
• Monika Nicolle: Histoire d'un Marathon des Sables – 245 kilomètres dans le désert... Paris, Éditions de l'Onde 2010. .
• Eddy Poirier: Vaincre soi-même : Marathon des Sables! Toute une histoire. [S.l.], Glob 2009. .
• Pierre-Emmanuel Rastoin: Regard sur le Marathon des Sables : 2004/06. Biarritz, SAI 2007. .
• Mark Roe: Running from shadows - my Marathon des Sables. Kibworth Beauchamp, Matador 2014. .
• Herbert Meneweger: Marathon des Sables - die Grenze ist, wo die Vorstellungskraft endet - der härteste Marathonlauf der Welt, 243 Kilometer durch die Sahara. Anthering AUT, Meneweger 2003. .
• Mike Stroud OBE. (re-issued 2004). Survival Of The Fittest: Understanding Health and Peak Physical Performance.
• Dr Dan Tunstall Pedoe: Marathon Medicine. 2001, page 186. .

Notes

References

1. (13 April 2012). "Les forçats du désert". Le Monde.
2. Cushing, Steve. (2010). "24th Marathon des Sables: a competitor's tale". Matador.
3. (3 September 2025). "Marathon des Sables: Cyril Gauthier fait le point".
4. (25 November 2017). "Le Marathon des Sables lance sa version péruvienne".
5. (12 April 2018). "Le Marathon des Sables, une semaine hors du temps pour un millier de participants". Le Figaro.
6. (13 April 2012). "Les forçats du désert". Le Monde.
7. "Archived copy; Race History: The toughest footrace on earth (Running the Sahara Ltd.)".
8. Cushing, Steve. (2010). "24th Marathon des Sables: a competitor's tale". Matador.
9. Cushing, Steve. (2010). "24th Marathon des Sables: a competitor's tale". Matador.
10. (25 November 2017). "Le Marathon des Sables lance sa version péruvienne".
11. "Half MDS Fuerteventura".
12. (3 September 2025). "Marathon des Sables: Cyril Gauthier fait le point".
13. (3 September 2025). "Marathon des Sables: Cyril Gauthier fait le point".
14. (2022-03-28). "36th Marathon des Sables: Rachid El Morabity, Anna Comet win first stage".
15. (2023-04-28). "Mohamed El Morabity Wins 37th Marathon Des Sables".
16. [http://www.libe.ma/Marathonien-des-sables-Lahcen-Ahansal-enfant-nomade-et-star-du-desert_a26256.html «Marathonien des sables, Lahcen Ahansal, enfant nomade et star du désert»]
17. G. De Pascale, ''Il corridore - Storia di una vita riscattata dallo sport'', Ponte alle Grazie 2012
18. (18 April 2024). "The Khmer Rouge, Mr Clever and Me".
19. (2012-07-15). "Chris Moon to tackle Badwater ultra marathon". BBC News.
20. "The Bad Boy Running Podcast".
21. (6 April 2014). "2014 Marathon des Sables Results". irunfar.com/2014/04.
22. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-32260854 "Sir Ranulph Fiennes completes desert race Marathon des Sables" at bbc.co.uk] Accessed 3 June 2017
23. (26 April 2024). "Marathon des Sables: Man becomes oldest Briton to finish Sahara race".
24. (12 April 2019). "Dog named Cactus finishes desert marathon after epic run across Sahara".
25. Average Rob. (2025-06-07). "How I Survived The Toughest Footrace on Earth (an Average Rob documentary)".
26. (2014-11-27). "How I drank urine and bat blood to survive". BBC News.
27. Murray, Jessica. (2021-10-25). "Marathon des Sables runners say organisers failed in duty of care". The Guardian.
28. "Archived copy; Ted Archer: Carved by god, cursed by the devil – a true story of running the Sahara Desert (at tedarcher.com)".
29. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Survival-The-Fittest-Understanding-Performance/dp/0224075071/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399385596&sr=8-1&keywords=dr+mike+stroud Mike Stroud: "Survival Of The Fittest: Understanding Health and Peak Physical Performance", at amazon.co.uk] Accessed 7 June 2017
30. [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marathon-Medicine-Dan-Tunstall-Pedoe/dp/1853154601 Dr Dan Tunstall Pedoe: "Marathon Medicine", at amazon.co.uk] Accessed 7 June 2017
31. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Mr79AgAAQBAJ&q=%22Marathon+medicine%22+sahara%29&pg=PA185 Dr Dan Tunstall Pedoe: "Marathon Medicine", page 186, at books.google.com] Accessed 7 June 2017