The iconic Marathon des Sables is entering a new phase, the past 37 editions have been under the aegis of Patrick Bauer, who, back in 1984, filled up a pack with food and water and trekked off alone into the Algerian Sahara to cover 350km’s on foot in a self-sufficient manner. Little did he know at the time, but this journey was the start of something incredible, the Marathon des Sables, or MDS as it is affectionately known.
Now under new ownership, the 38th edition taking place in April 2024 will see some significant changes while sticking to the main format and principles of the past 37-editions.
It is therefore timely, to update my Ultimate Guide to Marathon des Sables and acknowledge these key changes.
A recent podcast with one of the new co-owners, Cyril Gauthier, can be heard HERE.
Cyril ran the Marathon des Sables in 2009, created the brand WAA and is instrumental in the growth of the HMDS (Half Marathon des Sables) format. Moving forward, the HMDS format will no longer have the ‘half’ title, for example, HMDS Morocco will become MDS Morocco, HMDS Jordan will be MDS Jordan and the key, full distance race of the past 37-years will be called ‘LEGENDARY‘ – The Legendary Marathon des Sables.
Marathon des Sables offers more than just running, it offers a challenge, it offers something quite unique – the Sahara and the MDS strips the runner back to basics and deprives them of all luxuries so that they are stripped raw. Runners find themselves in the desert.
However, this challenge can often daunt a new participant with the challenge that is ahead and therefore, my Ultimate Guide to the Marathon des Sables is provided to settle nerves, provide initial information and provide a level of knowledge that you can use as a base from which to build your own plan and decide on what equipment to purchase and use.
Iconic balloons, landscape and early morning light.
You’ll have seen the images, two in particular appear everywhere when you do a search on the internet, one will be the unique fairy towers and the other, hot air balloons gliding over the aforementioned landscape with the glow of early morning light.
Running and racing is a wonderful double edged sword, we look for new destinations to practice our sport and then when in these locations, we get to explore them in the best way possible, by foot!
Hoodoo – an epic backdrop
Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail, now in it’s 10th edition provides the opportunity to mix the best of both worlds.
The races start and conclude in Ürgüp (closest airport Kayseri) in Nevşehir province. It’s the perfect hub for exploration. Located at 1044m, access to key tourist attractions and hot air balloon flights, are just a phone call away, particularly if you communicate with Argeus Travel, who also happen to be the team behind Cappadocia Ultra Trail.
Other than say Montserrat, Colorado and north America, the landscape of Cappadocia is unique. The ‘Hoodoo’ (fairy chimney) actually translates to tent rock or earth pyramid is in abundance and a key feature of the landscape here. Created by earth erosion, they typically consist of soft rock topped by harder rock. These Hoodoos became home to Troglodytes (cave dweller) who carved into the formations to create a place to live. Varying in size, Hoodoo can be up to 10 storeys high and they are unique with a conical shape. Today, there are no permanent settlements but Persians, Ottomans, Romans, Byzantines and others, over time, have used these Hoodoo as shelter. Notably, Christians fleeing persecution made their homes in Cappadocia and they built churches. This was a key phase in the development of the Hoodoo, they ‘added’ to the natural structure and also built a network of underground cities and caves.
And so, Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail offers a unique opportunity to run through history.
With three key races, CUT at 119k,, CMT at 63km and CST at 38km, there is a race distance for all. While CUT provides the full and immersive 360 experience, the CMT arguably provides the most spectacular and concise journey. The CUT and CMT cover the same trails starting in Ürgüp and passing on a circular route through key locations such as Ortahisar, Ibrahimpasa, Göreme and the Rose and Red valley, where surreal rock formations, pinkish-red colours, and ancient cave churches make this a highlight. Ürgüp follows and the CMT concludes, for the CUT they continue on for a tough and arduous loop passing through Mustafapasa, Damsa Dam, Cemil, Taskinpasa, Karlik, Egrim Tepesi and finally Ürgüp for the finish.
The CST passes through Ibrahimpasa, Göreme and concludes in Ürgüp and while the route has its moments, it’s less spectacular than the CMT.
With over 2400 runners from over 70 nations, Cappadocia Ultra Trail has become Turkey’s key trail running event. It sets the bar for how an event should be. Talking with the team at Argeus, they have a simple philosophy, they wanted to create an event for Turkish people that was of the highest standard and importantly, affordable. The growth of the event and the landscape on offer has made this one of the key events in the world to travel to and it’s easy to see why. Ürgüp in itself has grown through the tourism generated and as such, accommodation is in abundance and much of it with a boutique style, I for example stayed inside a cave at Deer Suites.
Racing was fast and furious and the presence of the Adidas Terrex Team certainly provided a new impetus to the racing with Dmitry Mityaev and Ekaterina Mityaeva winning the CUT, Ekaterina also 3rd overall. Kim Schreiber winning the CMT and placing 3rd overall! Martin Dematteis and Dion Gorla both placing 2nd in the CST. Full results HERE.
Dmitry Mityaev
CUT – Dmitry Mityaev completed the 360 degree journey of Cappadocia in a course record time of 10:59:32 with Farkhad Isakov and Mohammadreza Jelodar placing 2nd and 3rd, 12:14:25 and 13:12:15 respectively. Ekaterina Mityaeva also set a course record 13:00:23 and placed 3rd overall, a stunning run. Ksenila Avdeeva was 2nd in 14:23:45 and Sergio Baysal 3rd in 15:24:41.
Ekaterina Mityaeva
CMT – Kim Schreiber was the star completing the 63km in 05:38:39 and placing 3rd overall. Behind, the Terrex athlete was followed by Varvara Shikanova and Aysel Yalac Dolay. 06:02:58 and 06:24:50 respectively. Mestan Turban set a blistering pace for the men and set a convincing victory in 05:03:49 followed by Irem Can Ayaz in 05:17:40 and Ryan Farrugia in 05:42:15.
Mestan Turban passing through Ibrahimpasa
CST – Alejandro Forcades and Martin Dematteis had a hard fought battle for victory, Alejandro finally crossing first in 02:39:40 to Martin’s 02:41:34. Yury Shtankov rounded the podium in 02:48:29. The women’s race also had a tight battle for victory with Simone Brick edging out Dioni Gorla, 03:25:53 to 03:26:35. Tugce Karakaya placed 3rd in 03:31:24.
Hidden caves
In addition to the stand-alone races, the CUT, CMT and CST were also done in relay format. Results CUT, CMT and CST.
Ürgüp was a stunning location and hub for the 2023 Cappadocia Ultra Trail, in conjunction with excellent organisation from Argeus, many are now already looking ahead to 2024. See you there I hope!
As trail and mountain running grows worldwide, races with a 1000 or even 1000’s of runner’s are becoming normal. It’s great to see this boom and long may it continue. However, raw and local events have a place, they are a hark back to the ‘why’ we run, travel, adventure, culture and an immersive experience in a new place with new people.
Now in its third edition, the race has grown from humble beginning to 100’s of participants over four races, VK, 17km, 24km and 50km.
Oliena
Deep inside Sardinia, the wild territory of Supramonte is explored, on foot. The beauty of this region comes in its primitive, harsh and beautiful terrain which makes up the challenge to be endured from VK to 50km. This rough terrain in softened by the people and their warmth. Rough and smooth, Oliena is a must visit destination.
Looking up from the centre of town, the church towered by an epic backdrop of mountains that is reminiscent of the Dolomites, provides a hub for the weekend of events. Saturday afternoon, the VK and 17km get underway at 1500 both taking the same trail to Prado where they then split, the 17km heading right for a wonderful trail journey back to town, the VK turning left for a steep conclusion at Punta Carabidda. Sunday, an 0700 start for the 50km and at 0900 the 24km gets underway, the two races sharing some of the same trails to and from Prado but in opposite directions.
Some would say, they are brutally beautiful.
Battle for VK first place
The VK covers 6.5km’s and 980m+ of tree covered trails until finally opening up to mountainous terrain as Prado looms. Now the terrain is tough, challenging and more technical. VK’s burn the legs and lungs and here in Oliena, Alex Baldaccini and Frederico Nicolini pushed each other to the line, crossing together in 41:06. Lorenzo Rostagno placed third. Elena Nicolini crowned the podium for the women in 54:23, also good enough for fifth overall. Camilla Calosso and Giudy Turini completed the podium.
Giudy Turini
Starting at the same time as the VK, the 17km Corassi Trail covers 1250m of vertical gain with the opening km’s matching those of the VK to Prado. From here the route heads right towards Monte Corassi (1463m) and a magical loop that eventually concludes back in Oliena. Salvatore Ragonese dominated with a 01:59:01 performance ahead of Nicolas Orrù and Davide Barattini. Lena Zellman from Germany took the top honours for the women in 02:28:42 with Valentina Nazarov second and Francesca Visconti third.
A night of rest for the runner’s, for the Oliena staff, a busy night preparing for the Sunday action.
The Supramonte backdrop
The Ultra Sky Supramonte covers 50km’s with 3700m of vertical ascent, it’s a tough race and one that would test all the participants. Going in a clockwise direction, the route concludes with a climb to Monte Corrasi but from the opposite direction of the 17km and 24km races. It came as no surprise that top skyrunner, William Boffelli dominated the race.
Franco Collé
A potential challenge from Tor des Geants record holder, Franco Colle disappeared when Franco withdrew from the race – It was just soon after Tor! Williams time of 06:03:07 an impressive conclusion to a masterclass performance. It was almost 40-minutes later when second placed Tizano Scatolin arrived. Martin Blathusiak placed third. Radka Litajova placed in the top-10 overall and won the women’s race in 08:04:21 ahead of Katerina Sulikova and Marta Poretti.
50km has steep and challenging terrain
Starting 2-hours after the 50km, the 24km Humidor SkyTrail got underway, 1700m of positive gain to be conquered.
Lorenzo Beltrami
Lorenzo Beltrami fought of a challenge from skyrunning legend, Tadei Pivk, to take victory in 02:21:02 just over 4-minutes ahead of Tadei.
Tadei Pivk
Paolo Bonanomi placed third. Pina Deiana repeated success from 2022 with another victory, stopping the clock in 03:07:17. Ivana Bruckova and Ludovia Rossi completed the podium.
Epic terrain and views
As the runner’s completed their journeys in the centre of Oliena, a party welcomed them with celebratory crowds, local atmosphere and a live band. Oliena SkyTrail may be small, but it’s big on atmosphere and emotion. For many, two days is just not enough… These mountains and trails need exploring, maybe at a more relaxed pac with a hike and picnic. There are no shortage of adventures too, a ‘must-do’ is Su Cologne for lunch, a visit to the area and canoe trip on Lago del Cedrino.
Trust me, I am going back in 2024, but this time for a week. I need to explore more.
Episode 238 of Talk Ultra – After 37-years, the iconic Marathon des Sables will move ahead with new owners, the legacy of Patrick Bauer is there for all of us to see. With new owners comes change and in this episode of Talk Ultra, we discuss these changes with co-owner and CEO Cyril Gauthier.
This in-depth podcast discusses the history and background of Cyril Gauthier and then organically follows through to discuss the brand WAA, the growth of HMDS and the future and changes for Marathon des Sables.
UPDATE – This was not addressed in my podcast, at the time, I did not have the facts. However, post podcast I have had questions raised by some who had concern about medical support and the Doctor team, so I reached out for an answer, and I quote:
“We will try to do better than with Doc Trotter. I have been contracted with DoK Ever since the beginning of HMDS. They were also the ones who managed MDS Peru. They are among the leaders in Europe and I believe we can increase the quality. We have the same number of doctors, podiatrists and nurses: 60. I am going to modify the management of vehicles by keeping the current system but adding a rapid intervention force with SSVs. Always with the helicopter as back up.” – Cyril Gauthier
It’s suggested you read this article written Jube 2023 in advance of this recording.
The beautiful island and people of La Palma have had their share of troubles, the impact of coronavirus, forest fires and of course the devastating volcanic eruption.
Nestled away, a hidden gem, the island was unknown (relatively) until a summit in 2012, ‘Less Cloud, More Sky’ – the idea of Lauri van Houten, Marino Giacometti (International Skyrunning Federation) in conjunction with Julio Carbera on the island; La Palma was elevated to a ‘go to’ place, particularly for runners.
Kilian Jornet, Luis Alberto Hernando, Marco De Gasperi, Max King, Dakota Jones, Anton Krupicka, Sebastian Chaigneau, Francois D’Haene, Anna Frost, Nikki Kimball and he worlds best runners assembled on the island to discuss the future of skyrunning and discuss the future of the sport.
They also participated in the 2012 event and the stage was set for it to become one of, if not THE events of the year.
2012, victory went to ‘young money,’ Dakota Jones with Andy Symonds and Kilian Jornet 2nd and 3rd. For the women, Anna Frost dominated ahead of Nuria Picas and Nikki Kimball.
2012 – Anton Krupicka, Mike Wolfe, Joe Grant, Geoff Roes and Dakota Jones
2013, Kilian Jornet, Luis Alberto Hernando and Sage Canaday made 1,2 and 3 and for the women, Emelie Forsberg burst on to the scene ahead of Nuria Picas and Uxue Fraile.
2014 Luis Alberto Hernando finally beat Kilian Jornet and once again, Sage Canaday placed 3rd. Frosty (Anna Frost) returned to the top of the podium, this time with a course record 08:10:41 ahead of Maite Maiora and Uxue Fraile.
2015, Luis Alberto Hernando did the double followed by Dani Garcia and Blake Hose. For perspective, the top-10 reads today, in 2023, as a who’s who of trail running: Dakota Jones, 4th, Zach Miller 5th, Dimitrios Theodorakakos 6th, Cristofer Clemente 7th, Pablo Villa 8th, Julien Coudert 9th and Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz 10th. Emelie Forsberg once again topped the women’s podium with Anna Comet and Myriam Guillot placing 2nd and 3rd.
Quite simply, Transvulcania was the bomb.! The stunning route, the sea, to summit and back to sea route personified the essence of skyrunning and the views while running, mind-blowing. Few forget the sunrise in the volcano section on race day.
Having travelled all over this island many, many times and having known routes and trails like the back of my hand, the devastation post the volcano was hard to see. What had been familiar was no longer familiar. Houses gone, homes destroyed, and roads eradicated from the landscape.
Emerging from difficult times, La Palma and it’s people needed a boost.
In February 2022, Transvulcania joined the ‘by UTMB’ and to many, the move did not make sense. The heritage and growth through skyrunning disappeared along with the website and the record of the races history.
Celebrating its 12th edition, the first since 2019, Transvulcania hoped to return stronger than ever; a poignant edition following the troubles of the 2021 volcano. Petter Engdahl and Abby Hall were crowned champions.
Despite the razzamatazz, despite the buzz, despite the incredible finish line atmosphere, the event never matched the 2012 to 2019 heyday.
27th September 2023.
An official announcement is made and in the words of President Sergio Rodriguez, Transvulcania will aim to “recover its essence.”
In the mountain, ultra and trail world, the progression of ‘by UTMB’ has become overwhelming for many, at the time of writing, there are 39 events worldwide. The ‘by UTMB’ brand has shown growth in our sport, it has provided opportunities and incentives and has helped elevate trail running on a global level.
But…
For Transvulcania and the people of La Palma, a return to its roots has produced a cheer of acceptance. One quote stands out, “No one like us, the inhabitants of the island of La Palma, to decide how we want our competition for excellence to be,”
It’s a clear statement that the growth and pressure of ‘by UTMB’ is not welcome in certain places.
Taken from a release on Transvulcania social media (translation by Google):
In this sense, the president of the First Corporation, Sergio Rodriguez, stresses that the project will be reconfigured “to regain its essence”. “We wanted a jewel like the Transvulcania to regain its splendor, to be palm trees again. That’s why we support public and local management, but with a global perspective. “No one like us, the inhabitants of the island of La Palma, to decide how we want our competition for excellence to be,” explains.
And it is that, Rodríguez understands, the Transvulcania, “from its early years, it was a revulsive for companies, and unfortunately in the latest editions it lost a lot of strength.” “We set ourselves as the goal of taking it to the highest level, although without giving up what made us feel like a symbol of our territory. “We pursue that in the streets, weeks before, a festive atmosphere is breathed again; that awakens enthusiasm between locals and foreigners,” adds the island leader.
I’m very happy with this decision, I have performed the test before and after with the UTMB in the middle and there is no color, before it was a spectacle in every way: organization, treatment with the runner and palm trees as always generous and delivered. Congratulations on the decision made and the great career it is.
Bring back that Transvulcania of yesteryear.. It will be a matter of returning to the beautiful island and its people. The real protagonists of this great race that fell in love and hooked everyone who ran it.. 2024, signed up to try and get that 6th Palmera ultraMarathon, for me.. the best in the whole world!!
As I get deeper into my love for photographey, I want to speak to those whose work is not only technically profound but unique. Being unique is the key to unlocking a world of opportunities and experiences that others can learn from and see what is possible. That is why I reached out to connect with Ian Corless.
Photography enthusiasts, if you’ve ever scrolled through Ian Corless’s Instagram feed, you’ll understand why I was eager to connect with him. His extraordinary work stands out, but it’s not just his talent that sets him apart. Ian’s remarkable willingness to engage and network, both with clients and during this interview, is a testament to his character. He takes photography to the extreme, whether it’s capturing high-profile commercial assignments, scaling a mountainside for a passion project, or sharing as much knowledge with the photography community as he can. Check out his work and the words he shared with me about his journey in photography.
New for 2024, Norway’s first multi-day trail running event, the LOFOTEN STAGE RUN brought to you by the team behind The Arctic Triple taking place Week 22 2024 (w/c 27th May)
Located in the stunning and world-renowned Archipelago of Lofoten, The Arctic Triple team will offer two stunning races, the 175km Expedition Run and the 120km Adventure Run, both starting in the iconic, beautiful, and picturesque Reine and concluding in Svolvær.
Travel point-to-point, on foot, experiencing the majesty of Norway. Stunning trails, majestic mountains, resplendent views, and all during the endless daytime of the midnight sun. A fully supported journey over 4-days (6-days in total) and remembered for a lifetime.
The Lofoten Stage Run will bring the best of what Norway has to offer – fjords, fishing villages, beaches, mountains, ridges and of course the world-renowned Hytte experience.
Kristian Nashoug at Reine
“Lofoten Stage Run came about after the 2021 Arctic Triple and the realisation that only the 100-mile runners were getting a full 360 Lofoten experience. Not everyone wants or can run 100-miles in one go, especially here in Lofoten. So, we have created the Lofoten Stage Run which effectively breaks down our 100-mile race in 4-stages and therefore offers a more manageable way to experience all that Lofoten has to offer.”– Kristian Nashoug
The Lofoten Stage Run, either the 175km or 120km versions offer a full day to cover the respective stages and the opportunity to really experience all that this area has to offer. In the evening, runners will meet local hosts, experience local food, have comfortable lodging, and create new bonds and friendships with like-minded people. Lofoten is one of the most ‘desired’ places to visit in the world, what better way to experience it?
This is no ordinary multi-day race!
Stages will consist of 4-days, 39km, 60k, 31km and 45km for the 175km Expedition Run and 39km, 29km, 31km and 21km for the 120km Adventure Run, it’s The Arctic Triple’s aim to make this experience available to all.
Day 3 at Brustranda Fjordcamping in Rolvsfjord, a real gem on the inside of the Lofoten archipelago.
And finally, all races conclude in Svolavær.
Experience Lofoten.
Experience the Arctic Circle.
Experience the midnight sun.
Experience the majesty and beauty of Norway under your own power.
PRICE NOK 32.900 (ca €2950)
What is included? Accomodation 5 nights (one night before and after is also included) Race registration Luggage transport from basecamp to basecamp All meals from when we meet in Svolvær day 1 until breakfast day 6 Start kit The Arctic Triple buff Service stations First Aid Evacuation transport Timing Tracking Warm meal after finish Boat ride to the starting line in Kjerkfjorden Quality Finisher shirt
Over 1500 runners are celebrating 10-years of the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail in 2023, the stage is set for it to be the best one yet. Offering three distances, 119km, 63km and 38km, what better way is there to experience the hills and valleys of this UNESCO world heritage site? A place of exceptional natural wonders and a peerless historical heritage!
Cappadocia is a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. Other notables sites include Bronze Age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes (cave dwellers) and later used as refuges by early Christians. The 100m-deep Ihlara Canyon houses numerous rock-face churches. This unique cultural and morphological heritage site was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 and today is one of the most visited regions of Turkey.
Three events and one unique experience.
CUT 119km 3730m+ (200 participants)
withAleksi Tolstenko, Dmitry Mityaev, Ekaterina Mityaeva, Alper Dalkilic, and Elena Polyakova.
CMT 63km 20230m+ (552 participants)
withTofol Castanyer, Erik La Puma, Dioni Gorla, Janosh Kowalczyk and Kim Schreiber.
CST 38km 1120m+ (833 participants)
withMartin Dematteis, Martin Anthamatten, Jeshrun Small, and Sven Koch.
Episode 237 of Talk Ultra has an interview with Corina Sommer who won Oman Desert Marathon early in 2023 and went on to place 4th at Marathon des Sables.
Now in its 8th edition, the Oman Desert Marathon took place January 21st to 24th. A self-sufficient race, the event took place over 4-stages with a total distance of 165-kms. Corina Sommer battled hard to take a convincing victory.
HOME of the GIANTS goes live August 1st. A multi-day adventure through the magical and amazing playground that is Jotunheimen, Norway. Unlike a race, this journey is a finely balanced exclusive trip for just 12 participants. A challenge at a more relaxed pace, taking in an amazing route whilst moving light in a semi self-sufficient mode. More HERE
Are you up for an adventure in an incredible part of the world?
If the answer is yes, Home Of The Giants is for you!
JULY 21ST TO JULY 28TH 2024
A multi-day adventure through the magical and amazing playground that is Jotunheimen, Norway. Unlike a race, this journey is a finely balanced exclusive trip for just 12 participants. A challenge at a more relaxed pace, taking in an amazing route whilst moving light in a semi self-sufficient mode.
The iconic ‘The Church’ we go to the summit on day 2
Spread over 5-days, our journey starts from Bygdin Fjellhotel with an overnight stay, the following morning we depart via the iconic M/B Bitihorn boat covering the length of Bitihorn lake to our start point at Eidsbugarden. A magical journey, on foot, covering 100kmand 4774m+
Snow fields, water crossings and morraine
You will encounter snow, water crossings, airy and exposed sections, plenty of climbing and descending and full days on the trail. Each day will conclude at a DNT cabin where you will have a bed, shower facilities, 3-course dinner and breakfast included.
Rock and snow transitions to lush green and single-track
WANT TO JOIN US?
Only 12 places are available for what will be a journey of a lifetime.
IAN CORLESS 