The MARATHON DES SABLES is a unique adventure of 250km’s spread over 6-stages of self-sufficiency, shared by thousands of enthusiasts for over 38-years. In 2017, another format, HMDS was born with 70 to 120km distances, spread over 3-stages.

2024 has been a significant year for the MDS brand. The ‘HMDS’ format while still following the same protocols and format has now dropped the ‘half’ title and moving forward, events will be called MDS Jordan, MDS Morocco, MDS Cappadocia and so on.

To differentiate the full distance race of 250km’s, Marathon des Sables will now be known at MDS The Legendary, reflecting the legendary status of this iconic event and its long history as a pioneer of the stage racing and multi-day format.

All the races are now owned by the same team and while many may be familiar with the format and protocols for the shorter distance races, MDS The Legendary for 2024 had some significant changes. 

Personal Note:

Considering on this website I have countless articles on ‘how to’ prepare for MDS. It feels appropriate now to do a new post to reflect the changes and moving forward, this will be the definite outline guide for all things MDS.

In addition to a list of self-sufficient races, recently, MDS announced a new race, MDS TREK MOROCCO, this new format is not self-sufficient and while some of the content in this article will relate to the new TREK format, some will be irrelevant, so, please use discretion if participating in a TREK format.

MDS EVENTS

• MDS The Legendary
• MDS Namibia
• MDS Cappadocia
• MDS Fuerteventura
• MDS Morocco
• MDS Jordan
• MDS Egypt*
• MDS Peru*
• MDS Trek Morocco

* Events tbc

WHAT IS MDS?

MDS is a self-sufficient race taking place over 3 to 6-stages. 

MDS The Legendary is the iconic 6-stage race (over 7-days) with a distance of 250km (+/-) based on the route, terrain and difficulty. There are no options available on distance and participants are self-sufficient for the entire race, the only exception is the provision of water and a shared tent (bivouac) with 7 other participants. An example of 2024 distances:

• Stage 1 : 31.1 km
• Stage 2 : 40.8 km
• Stage 3 : 85.3 km (over 2 days)
• Stage 4 : 43.1 km
• Stage 5 : 31.4 km
• Stage 6 : 21.1 km

MDS events start at 70, 100 and 120km for the shorter race format, depending on the race destination, there are 2 or 3 distances available. To clarify, this is not 2 or 3 different races, but the same race with the option to choose what distance you run or walk. As an example, the route is divided into 3 stages (4-days), to be completed at your own pace: walking or running. 

• –    70 km
• –    100 km
• –    120 km

Here is a breakdown of each stage:

• –    Stage 1: 25km – 30km
• –    Stage 2: 20, 40 or 60km
• –    Stage 3: 25km – 30km

The choice of the format is made at the registration. However, you can adjust it until the time of MDS.

MDS TREK is not self-sufficient and while similar to other MDS events, the format is much more a holiday experience, ideal for first timers or those who are looking for an active travel/ relax experience. Read more HERE.

THE MDS FORMAT

MDS The Legendary and MDS events follow a similar format, however, there are key differences:

MDS The Legendary is a 10-day experience

MDS a 7-day experience

In both scenarios you arrange travel to the relevant destination, arriving with adequate time to meet the MDS team at a designated meeting point and time. This may mean you need to arrive one day in advance to ensure you are able to meet the schedule as stipulated. From here, the MDS team then transport you to the start of the race. 

For MDS The Legendary this will be straight to the desert and bivouac 1. 

For MDS events, this will be more than likely to a hotel and the following day you will start the race.

In both race formats, participants stay in a tent (bivouac), however, the format is not the same. 

MDS The Legendary use classic Nomad tents that hold 8-participants. By contrast, MDS events use individual tents organised in cells of 6. 

In both formats, it is possible to choose, before the race, the people with whom you want to share the bivouac tent or cell. 

Post-race you will be transported to a hotel and an awards ceremony and gala dinner will take place.

THE RACE CONCEPT

Both race formats, MDS The Legendary and MDS require participants to be self-sufficient for the whole race.

What does this mean?

Quite simply, you must wear and carry all you need for your race experience with the exception of the tent / bivouac.

It may sound daunting but it is not, it’s actually quite simple. You need to address the following points:

• What you wear.
• Equipment you need to participate.
• Sleeping.
• Food.
• Water.

WHAT TO WEAR

• Hat to protect from the sun with optional neck protection.
• Shirt (short or long sleeve) with adequate protection from the sun.
• Shorts, skort or similar.
• Socks.
• Shoes with appropriate protection and durability for a desert environment with a gaiter (typically sewn on) to keep sand out of the shoe.

WAA is a partner for MDS have specific equipment for desert/ stage-racing.

Because you have entered a MDS event, there is no need to buy new apparel and shoes. Quite simply, if you have items that work, are comfortable, cause no problems or irritation, there is no need to change them. If it aint broke, don’t break it. Shoes always create a huge debate and please find what works for you. If you ask on any forum, you will get countless recommendations but none of those recommendations are specific to you and your needs. Read an article HERE and HERE.

EQUIPMENT

Always remember that with MDS events you are either wearing or carrying everything you need for the race duration. Therefore, it is imperative that you purchase the lightest options available (based on budget) and you keep luxuries to a minimum. 

Keep it simple!

MDS specify ‘mandatory’ equipment for participation as specified below:

• A pack with enough capacity to carry all your equipment, food and water – eg: WAA Ultra Bag 20L
• Water carrying capacity of 1.5L minimum.
• Sleeping bag read HERE
• Headlamp (which must be turned on after dark) + 1 complete set of spare batteries or battery. Make sure it has a ‘red’ mode for night.
• 10 safety pins
• Lighter
• A whistle
• Metal blade knife
• Skin antiseptic
• Signaling mirror
• Survival blanket
• Soup cubes (2 per day) to help the rehydration
• Tube of sunscreen 
• 100 / 200 euros in cash 
• Passport or identity card (depending of the destination) 
• Official MDS medical certificate completed by a doctor (form available 3 months before the race).
• Road book

What else do you need?

• A sleeping mat is highly recommended to protect from the ground, insulate and provide comfort.
• A jacket is highly recommended (lightweight down) for cold morning and chilly nights. Many products exist. An excellent combination item is offered by PHD but it does come at a price – HERE.
• Poles are for many 4-wheel drive in stage races, Leki are highly recommended.
• Stove – if you plan to have hot water, you will need a cooking system like those provided by Esbit. Please note, you cannot use any gas stoves in the desert, you must use fire bricks.
• Pot – if you are using a stove, you will need a pot/ mug. 
• Spoon with long handle for eating. Such as a Spork.
• Buff or neck roll.
• Sunglasses are essential and think about protection in sand storms, goggles may be required.
• Spare socks and Injinji are highly recommended.
• Flip flops or similar. Many use the weight free slippers from hotels, however, they rarely withstand the desert.
• Watch / GPX
• Personal items: Tooth brush, toothpaste, hand gel, wipes, toilet paper, ear plugs, blind fold etc.
• Emergency – Things can happen during a race, so, be prepared with some essential items such as needle and thread, superglue, zip ties, monkey tape etc. If something rips or breaks, you need to repair it.

Luxuries

MDS is and should be simple in format. Remember, you must carry everything, so, keep luxuries to a minimum. Many consider a small MP3 player, look for something small, light and with great battery.

Phones are an essential part of our daily lives, do yourself a favour and leave it at home. The liberation is extremely rewarding. Please note, phones are allowed, however, it is prohibited to telephone on the bivouac or on the course. If you want to make a phone call, you will have to move away from these places so as not to disturb anyone.

SLEEPING

A sleeping bag is mandatory, so, there is no discussion here. The combined weight of your food is the heaviest and bulkiest item, however, a sleeping bag is next. These days there are many options available and quite simply you want the lightest possible, with the smallest packing size with required warmth at a price that you can afford. Not all sleeping bags are the same, so, consider this. Down is the best filling as it is the lightest, warmest and packs small. However, ‘fill power’ is a key element of down, fill power tells you how much volume a 30-gram, or one-ounce, sample of down will take up. So, the higher the fill power, the warmer the bag will be for less weight, because that one ounce of down has larger down clusters that provide more loft and have the ability to trap more heat. These bags will be more expensive.

Brands to look at: Nordisk, Seat to Summit, Rab, PHD, Western Mountaineering, Wilsa, Lightwave and so on.

Note here, that you will also probably be taking a down jacket for warmth. This can be used as extra warmth and insulation in a sleeping bag. So, it is possible to think about getting a lighter, less warm bag and supplementing warmth with a jacket.

UK brand PHD has come up with the perfect solution with an Ultra Jacket and Desert Race Half Bag but is does come at a price. However, it is comparable with the costs of jacket and bag by Nordisk.

Sleeping mat is highly recommended. When you are not running or walking, you are sitting or lying down, comfort is key. Two options exist, inflatable or not. Inflatable provides the greatest comfort but with poor admin does have the risk of puncture. Sea to Summit provide excellent inflatable options with low weight and pack size. Exped have excellent closed-cell foam.

FOOD

The MDS events (TREK not included) are self-sufficient adventures. You  need to bring your own food and carry it in your bag for the duration of the race.There is a requirement that you must have 2000 calories minimum per day. Please remember that from 2024, catering is not provided at MDS The Legendary and therefore you must have enough food and calories before the race starts.

Food is the heaviest item you will carry and is essential. Don’t skimp on food. Lay food out per day addressing key items:

• Breakfast (be careful they are not too sweet)
• Snacks while running (bars, nuts, dried meat etc)
• Post-run recovery (usually liquid form is ideal)
• Lunch if applicable (this could be another meal such as cous cous)
• Dinner (dehydrated meal)
• Evening snack (a bar)

Where possible, repackage food to make them smaller and lighter. However, make sure you keep nutritional information for the admin day. Pack food in day bags, that way it is easy to know what you have and importantly, you don’t take food you need for the next days. Keep doing this and you will be short of food at the end of the week.

Food is personal and you must find out what works for you. Remember taste chances when fatigued and in hot environments, often, sweet becomes less palatable with a preference for savoury. Dehydrated meals will often be used for key meals such as breakfast and dinner, some hydrate well with just warm water, others need hot water. So, if you are not taking a stove, test this. Basecamp food is a good website that shows what options exist. After many tests, highly recommended products are Firepot, Lyo, Tentmeals and Adventure Menu. Personally speaking, Firepot produce the tastiest meals I have tried.

Make sure you add some treats to spice up your palette.

A food list for MDS The Legendary could look like this:

• Dehydrated Meals x6 672g
• Dried Mango 93g x 4 372g
• Porridge 59g x 7 413g
• Coffee 1g x 10 10g
• Peanut Butter 33g x 5 165g
• Honey 21g x 8 168g
• Mini Salami 10g x 10 100g
• Tropical Mix Bag 194g
• Sesame Bites 27g x 6 162g
• Dried Banana Block 270g
• Mixed Nuts 200g x 2 400g
• Macademia Nuts Bag 153g
• Cranberries Bag 175g
• Pitta Wraps 296g

Total Weight 3550g

WATER

Water provision, particularly at MDS The Legendary has changed. In past editions, water was rationed and provided at key checkpoints in bottles, typically, 10km’s apart. 

For 2024, the new organisation changed this and arguably, water is now available, as required whilst racing. It is poured from jugs by MDS staff.

 In addition, intermediate water stations are added when deemed necessary to ensure competitor safety. 

At key checkpoints, iced water is supplied and poured by MDS staff on the heads and neck to aid cooling.

Post-race, each runner is provided with a 5L bottle of water, this is used for evening cooking, breakfast and up to CP1 the next day. If you wish to wash or freshen up, this comes from the same water ration. So, prioritise food and drinking before washing.

THOUGHTS AND CONSIDERATION

MDS is available for all, be that racing snake or someone who is looking for the adventure of a lifetime. So, keep that in mind. A top runner will have his or her pack at the absolute minimum weight and will look to survive the week racing as fast as possible. They will spend the week hungry. You, for example, may wish to carry a little more weight and have some comfort during the week. Just don’t carry to much extra weight!

The pack you wear is a crucial item that not only must fit everything you need, but it must also be comfortable and allow easy access to drink. There is no one-stop solution here. We are all different sizes and have different body shapes, so, make sure you try options.Also remember, at the beginning of the race, your pack can be around 8kg, this adds extra pressure on the shoulders, so, make sure you have enough padding and comfort. Many packs now come with waist belts and this, for many, is a great solution not only for extra storage but weight distribution. WAA have the ultra bag which has been specifically designed for the job. Osprey have recently released the Talon Velocity 20 which in testing has been superb. Don’t be tempted to get a bag that is too large, remember, the more space you have, the more you may take.

Bottles are the obvious way to carry water, typically 2x 750ml on the chest straps. I personally really dislike this format, I find it uncomfortable and unpleasant. So, find your own solution. Bladders have always been considered a NO for MDS but I personally find the solution ideal for my multi-day adventures. If you are a ‘racer’ this is not the best solution, but for most, it is ideal. As always, bladders can puncture, so, think about this.

Shoes will always be a debate and point of discussion. Shoes are personal and must be suited to you, the individual. Consider your gait (neutral, supinate or pronate), consider time on feet, consider your weight, consider how much you will walk (and then double it) also consider shoe drop and how much cushioning you need. It’s impossible to recommend any one shoe because of these variables. You will see top runners using a lighter shoe, remember, these shoes only need to last 20-30 hours. However, you may well need a shoe for 40, 50 or 60-hours. Do you need a trail shoe? No, you don’t need a trail shoe but I would say that many trail shoes are more durable as they are designed for the rough and tumble of variable terrain. Do you need an aggressive outsole? No, you don’t, but I do think some grip is better than none and therefore I would use a trail shoe over road. Protection? Toe box protection is a good idea as deserts include lots or rocks, far more than you may think. Do I need a size bigger? Shoe sizing does depend on what is ‘normal’ for you. I always recommend a thumb nail of space above the big toe, you don’t need any more than this. Recommendations of going a size is bigger is bad advice in my opinion. A shoe that is too large allows your foot to move, a moving foot causes friction, friction causes blisters and the rest is the same old story that I see at desert races all over the world. However, I would recommend a shoe with a little more width in the toe box, this will allow for some comfort as the days progress. If you are prone to feet swelling, discomfort, blisters and so on, get a strategy sorted before you head out to your chosen race. You will need a gaiter and while not always the case, sewing velcro on a shoe can change its shape, so, consider this. In 2024, Raidlight released a desert specific shoe with gaiter, I used them while working on The Legendary in 2024 and they were excellent.

Poles are a godsend, buy some and learn how to use them. They are 4-wheel drive.

Food is essential, make sure it works. Hot or cold water is a consideration and make sure if using meals that need rehydrating that they work with water at desert temperature. Never assume that water will always be warm because you are in the desert, just as we get hot years, we also get cool years.

Salt is needed to keep you in balance. Many foods contain salt so look to supplement that with the mandatory food cubes. Be careful here, for example, OXO works considerably better than Knorr. Do you need alt tablets? Do your research,, find out what you personally need and come up with a plan. Listen to a podcast HERE.

Feet – make sure you look after them. With the correct socks and correct shoes, there is no reason to get blisters and despite what some people say, the majority of people do not get blisters. Read Healthy for Running and Walking.

Heat is difficult and without doubt, it’s better to adapt to heat before the race. Read about Heat Acclimation by Dr Jodie Moss.

Hygiene is crucial and difficult when self-sufficient. But set up a protocol not only for your benefit but for those around you.

Luxuries keep them to a minimum.

Toilet paper is essential, make sure you have enough and compressed towels are brilliant to freshen up when you add a little water.

Take essentials on the plane and wear your run apparel and shoes. That way, should a baggage disaster happen your chances of racing improves.

Have additional items such as a base layer, sleeping bag liner and other items that may be on a ‘question’ list for the race. On night 1 and before you go to admin, you can make final decisions of what to and what not to take. Particularly important if you think you may be cold at night.

FINALLY

You signed up for the challenge, you wanted to be on the start line and therefore you are responsible for the outcome. Believe me, the ‘you’ that leaves the Sahara is not the same you that entered. Arguably, you change the moment you pay the deposit, the transformation process begins. Embrace the journey and apply yourself. Keep perspective, the MDS journey is an enhancement of you as a person. It’s easy to become obsessed, ultimately the majority of runners at MDS are enthusiasts, if you keep that in mind the journey will be a complete one.

Plan ahead, formulate a long term plan and don’t rush. The sooner you start this process, the greater your chance of success and the less chance of injury. Plan stepping stone races and don’t be fooled into thinking that you need to run marathons day-in and day-out. You don’t! Training is about ALL the training you do and not about anyone run.

If we exclude the top 50-100 runners (who will also walk sometimes) the majority of the MDS field spend a huge amount of time walking. Learn to walk! Believe me, it’s a huge tick in the MDS box and rest assured that if you are able to walk at a good consistent pace (barring injury or dehydration) you will finish MDS.

You are going to share bivouac with other people and you are going to have some serious highs and lows. These tent mates will pull you through and motivate you. They will become friends for life.

Legs, lungs, heart and feet will only get you so far. The mind is what will get you to the finish. Despite the hardships and pain, embrace the journey and mentally prepare for the challenge.

MDS is a magical and life changing journey, it really is a true challenge of mind and body to race over many days, irrespective if you complete or compete. It’s a hark back to a more primitive time, a time without clutter and modern technology. Embrace this. Embrace the silence of the surroundings and the simplicity of placing one foot in front of the other, eating, resting and sleeping and then doing it all again.

You can read a SUMMARY of the 2024 MDS The Legendary HERE

MDS events HERE

MDS The Legendary HERE

Further reading:

How to choose a Sleeping Bag HERE

Fastpacking Guide HERE

Winter Fastpacking HERE

Walking with poles HERE

Walking efficiency when climbing HERE

Long Term Goal Setting HERE

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