Marathon des Sables 2023 #MDS Stage 5

Posted on April 28, 2023 by talkultra

A beautiful sunrise over bivouac and the final timed stage of the 2023 and 37th edition of the Marathon des Sables would get underway.

The marathon stage had been highly anticipated as it was expected, that Rachid El Morabity would come from behind and gain time on his brother, Mohamed and clinch his 10th victory. However, this was not to be!

Rachid, along with Aziz El Akad failed an equipment check before the long stage (stage 4) of the Marathon des Sables. This check showed items that were not present at the initial kit check on admin day. The items, coincidentally, were provided each day in lunch packets for MDS staff. In simple terms, Rachid and Aziz were obtaining ‘outside assistance’ to gain an advantage and this, of course, is outside the rules of the race and the sense of fair play. On the rest day, a penalty of 3-hours was given to Rachid and Aziz and also, the Moroccan team was penalised. Rachid and Aziz decided to leave the race and not participate in the last stage.

Rachid has since posted on his Instagram account, and I quote:

“…it is with heavy heart I have decided to quit Marathon des Sables because I was punished unfairly for a mistake I dod not commit. When you are wrongly accused, it’s better to stand with your head high than to remain to suffer injustice…”

Sadly, this is a sad chapter in the history of the Marathon des Sables and the legacy of Rachid. However, it’s greatly important that self-sufficiency in the true nature of the MDS is held and when applicable, penalties are given, irrespective of if you have won 9 editions or not.

The 2023 edition will go down in the history of the race as one of the toughest! A beautiful but tough route, was made considerably tougher with intense heat that not only lasted the week, but increased in temperature daily. Also, early days were impacted with multiple sand storms. At the time of writing, the DNF rate is approximately 30% with just 771 runner’s starting the marathon stage.

It was a day full of emotion, finally, Mohamed El Morabity was finally released from the pressures of working for an elder brother and ran a smart race. He consolidated his lead by marking his closest rival Aziz Yachou and then in the final km’s he opened a gap crossing the line in 3:18. A huge victory for the Moroccan.

Aziz placed 2nd on the stage and 2nd overall on GC with Visiili Korytkin rounding out the stage podium. Mathieu Blanchard placed 3rd overall on GC, a great step up from his 2021 5th place.

For the women, Maryline Nakache won the stage and the overall GC. Tomomi Bitoh who won the marathon stage the last time she raced MDS today placed 2nd and 3rd on GC. Aziza El Amrany placed 3rd on stage and 2nd oveall.

Of course, today, the finish is full of tears, joy and emotion. The 37th edition has been a tough one and it’s clear to see the elation as the line is crossed and finally, it’s possible to relax and let go. There have been many highs and lows for all. As always, there are countless stories that transcend running and in time, those stories will be told. But just look at the images below to get a glimpse of the inspiration, the journey, the transformative process that MDS brings.

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Marathon des Sables 2023 #MDS – Stage 4

Posted on April 27, 2023 by talkultra

The long day at Marathon des Sables. It is always feared and rightly so. Coming on day 4, bodies are already tired and depleted. This year, the challenge is 90km, the second longest long day in the races 37th year history.

The 37th edition has already been impacted by the intense heat and challenging terrain with approximately 200 withdrawals before the long day started.

With 36 hours allowed to complete the challenge, it was going to be a tough challenge for all. The race start was brought forward by 1-hour once again, 0700 instead of 0800. The top 50 staring at 1000.

Self management is key. With aid stations approximately 10km’s apart, the race can be broken down, Cp by Cp and for most, the welcome of sunset and cooler temperatures makes travelling by foot easier.

The front of the race was highly anticipated with Rachid, Mohamed and Aziz close together on the GC. But really, all eyes were on Rachid looking for a 10th victory.

The day started with Rachid pushing the pace ahead of the other contenders but no real gaps opened up, for much of the day, the trio were close together and it stayed this way all the way to the end with Mohamed finishing 1st (8:14:39), Aziz 2nd (8:14:45) and Rachid 3rd (8:14:58), the GC staying with Mohamed as leader. It’s all to fight for come the marathon stage. Mathieu Blanchard once again ran consistency securing 4th place on GC.

Update: 1400hrs 27/04

Rachid El Morabity and Aziz El Akad both failed a mandatory kit check ahead of the stage 4 start. The reason, ‘outside assistance.’ This has resulted in a 3-hour time penalty given against Rachid and Aziz and the Morocan team will be penalised.

Ragna Debats had dominated the first three stages and barring disaster, was almost guaranteed victory. But, there are no guarantees in the Sahara. The terrain brutal, the heat intense and the challenge extreme.

Ragna struggled early on, looking uncomfortable and lacking power. She started to fade and eventually she started to fall back with Maryline Nakache and Aziza El Amrany pulling away. The gaps opened and Maryline became the provisional leader on the trail.

As sunset came, Maryline and Aziza were together before Cp6, Maryline looking troubled, Aziza looking strong.

Aziza forged ahead to take a well earned stage victory in 11:44:39. Maryline is now the women’s leader of the 37th Marathon des Sables finishing stage 4 in 11:50:04. Tomomi Bitoh, Corina Sommer and Catherine (Katy) Young all moved up in the rankings. The marathon stage will be interesting!

RANKING HERE

For many, today, Thursday is a rest day, recovering from the long day. But remember, runner’s have till 1700 hours to complete the stage, another day of intense heat to fight against.

The MDS is called ‘The Toughest Race in the World,’ in 2023 it is proving to be true. The combination of distance, heat, challenging terrain, self-sufficiency and rationed water make this an ultimate challenge.

Keeping ahead of the camels… ©iancorless

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Marathon des Sables 2023 #MDS Stage 3

Posted on April 25, 2023 by talkultra

Day 2 was tough. It was a challenging route, incredibly beautiful but the added technicality, vertical gain and intense heat took its toll with many DNF’s.

The organisation made a decision to bring the stage 3 start forward by 1-hour, 0700 instead of 0800. It maybe caused some logistical, admin and timing issues for all but it was a good call.

At 34km, stage 3 had less challenges than stage 2, but still a tough day.

With flat km’s to Cp1, the pace was high and Mathieu Blanchard was a main protagonist. He often pushed the pace, closely followed by Aziz, Mohammed and Rachid.

After Cp2 a resplendent area of green vegetation brought a different life to the Sahara. Camels, birds and reptiles, rare to see so much wildlife in one area.

The main protagonists pushed the pace and eventually Mathieu faded leaving the overall top-3 on GC together.

As I expected, Mohammed attacked and not only took the stage but the overall lead. It’s what I expected. The ‘brothers’ have a plan for the long day, but, at 90km’s, anything can happen.

For the women, it was business as usual with Rgna leading. But, after Cp1 she went through a bad patch and Aziza El Amrany took over the front of the race with Ragna complaining of, ‘…feeling fine and lacking power.’

As the race progressed, it all changed. Ragna regained the front and won in 3:29:36.

Maryline Nakache once again ran a strong and consistent stage to not only catch Aziza, pass her and put time into her, the duo finishing in 3:4104 and 3:42:36.

Tomorrow is the big day! It’s beautiful route with some MDS classics in the terrain. At 90km, it will be extremely tough for all. The race will start 1-hour earlier than planned, 0700. The top-50 will start at 1000.

General Classification:

Mohammed El Morabity 7:46:41
Rachid El Morabity 7:49:39
Aziz Yachou 7:50:47
Mathieu Blanchard 8:29:04
Vasilii Korytkin 8:37:23

Ragna Debats 10:15:30
Maryline Nakache 10:54:09
Aziza El Amrany 11:32:25
Corinna Sommer 12:21:46
Tomomi Bitoh 12:23:11

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Marathon des Sables 2023 #MDS Stage 2

Posted on April 25, 2023 by talkultra

It was a tough first day to the 2023 Marathon des Sables with 17 dropping out, a combination of heat, dehydration and exhaustion. Although a shorter day-2 was welcomed, it had increased technicality and vertical gain, therefore making it an equally hard day.

Mood in camp was high, many telling war wound stories of day-1 and somewhat apprehensive about what was to come.

From the gun, Rachid went hard and immediately opened a gap. A rare tactic for him, he usually like to hold back and slowly speed up. Today, boom, he was gone. By Cp1 the carnage behind was taking hold, the pace high!

On one of the key ridges of the day, Rachid held a lead over the pursuing Aziz who was marked by Mohamed El Morabity, the brothers once again using tactics to an advantage. Mathieu Blanchard was 5th.

After Jebel El Otfal, the descent, following sand dunes and flat run to the line, Mohamed and Rachid switched places (a tactical move?) and Mohamed took victory in 2:29:05. Rachid followed in 2:29:30 and then Aziz 2:29:42.

What can we make of this? My thoughts are Rachid would like Aziz to think he is not as strong as he imagined, therefore casting a doubt… I wouldn’t be surprised if Rachid gave away minutes on stage 3 to the the pressure off for the long day, and then, attack!

Ragna attacj=king at the start ©iancorless

The women’s race once again was dominated by Ragna Debats, she is too strong! Of course, the race is not over, anything can happen, especially on a 90km long day, but, Ragna, in this form is unbeatable. She crossed the line in 3:19:14.

Maryline Nakache and Aziza El Amrany ran together early in the day, but the elastic snapped and once again, Maryline pulled away to finish in 3:36:36. Wl Amrancy crossed in 3:55:55.

One to watch, Catherine (Katy( Young ©iancorless

Notably, Jodie Moss from the UK, 4th on stage 1, finished out of the top-5 today. A tactical move? I am sure she would prefer to start in the 0800 start and not the midday start for the long day.

Stage 3 is 34.4km and in principal, will be an easier day. But the heat is strong and the challenge real.

Stats -1085 runners started stage 1, of which 228 were women. At the end of stage 2, the drop outs were nearly 100!

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Two Weeks to Marathon Des Sables #MDS – Don’t Panic!

Posted on April 8, 2023 by talkultra

It has been a long journey, and here you are, 14-days to the start of the Marathon des Sables.

DO NOT PANIC!

You – 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 changed the moment you paid the deposit, the transformation process had already begun. Embrace the journey ahead and apply yourself. But keep perspective, the MDS journey is an enhancement of you as a person. It’s easy to become too obsessed. Ultimately the majority of runners at MDS are enthusiasts, if you keep that in mind the journey will be a complete one.

Pack – Minimum pack weight is 6.5kg plus water (8kg,) get as close to this as you can. Additional weight is additional stress and just makes the journey harder.

Friends – You are going to share bivouac with 7 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. Ideally find tent mates before you head out to the Sahara and create a support network. Now, with 14-days to go is the perfect time to do this, if you haven’t already done so.

Feet – Look after them, along with dehydration, blistered and damaged feet are a key reason for failure in any multi-day race.

Extras – Mandatory kit is as one would expect, mandatory! So purchase what is on the list. You can save weight by shopping around. Simple rule; the lighter and smaller, the more expensive it will be! Optional extras are very personal and my advice would be take nothing extra other than a MP3 player and earphones.

Mental Game – The legs, lungs, heart and feet will only get you so far. The mind is what will get you to the finish. Broken individuals with bodies in tatters but mentally strong can make the finish. Despite the hardships and pain, they embraced the journey and mentally where superior in strength. It was the mind that got them to the line.

Laugh – If you laugh, you are having fun. Laugh when you hit rock bottom, why not. Laugh when you are going the toilet in a brown plastic bag and most of all laugh with and at your tent mates and fellow runners. The comradeship of MDS is quite unique, embrace it.

Heat – In the final 14-days, make sure you get some heat acclimation, bikram yoga, sauna, heat chamber, hot batch, whatever it may be, get 6-8 sessions before the race. You have signed up for a race in the Sahara, no point in complaining it is ‘too hot!’ This is the challenge you signed up for. Dehydration is one of the main causes for NOT finishing the race.

TOP TIPS BEFORE THE RACE STARTS

Take essentials on the plane and wear your run apparel and shoes. That way, should a baggage disaster happen your chances of racing improve.
Take food with you for the travel and on the plane.
The journey from the airport to bivouac 1 is now typically 1-hour or less, this helps considerably with fatigue and tiredness.
Night 1 and night 2 in bivouac are NOT self-sufficient so take extras such as an inflatable bed, food and luxuries. Don’t use them? Give them away to the berbers. May as well have 2 comfortable nights and a comfortable day before the racing starts.
Food before the race starts is by Moroccan caterers. It is excellent food BUT for some, may be too challenging for the stomach. Take options to be self-sufficient should you need to make the choice.
Admin day is slick and streamlined now, but, you may be in the sun for over 1-hour. Wear a hat, take shade (an umbrella) and have water and snacks.
Keep sun screen on and keep hydrated. No need to drink vast volumes – drink to thirst before the racing starts.
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.
Remember that after bag drop and check-in you have no access to any additional items, however, you only become completely self-sufficient when you start the race. With that in mind, you can have additional food and luxuries with you until day 1 kick-off, it’s a useful tip and does mean that you can have additional comfort for a good 12-hours.

Marathon des Sables is a magical and life changing journey as are most if not all multi-day races. It really is a true challenge of mind and body to race over many days, irrespective of finish time. 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.

Finally, set yourself a realistic goal (that may just be to finish) so that you manage not only your expectations but pace. Way too many start off too quick and most dropouts come on days 1 and 2.

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Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp 2023 – Day 1

Posted on January 13, 2023 by talkultra

It was day-1 of the 2023 Lanzarote Multi-Day Training Camp and what a perfect day! The rain from ‘arrival’ day disappeared leaving a perfect sunny and windy day.

The morning was a 24km ‘Coastal Run’ that had over 50-participants moving along some wonderful, technical single-track on the outward route and easier gravel trails for the run home.

Spilt in to three main groups, Tom Evans and Pierre Meslet guided the faster runners, Ian Corless and Abelone Lyng the middle group and Inge Nijkamp, Kevin Webber and Steve Diederich guided the run/ walker and walkers.

The trails here a stunning and the backdrop superb. Technical trails are compensated with easier non-technical trails but the group bonding, chats and views help the km’s fly past…

After a lunch break, the afternoon was taken up with two talks: the inspirational Kevin Webber told his story of his Prostrate Cancer diagnosis and Steve Diederich (UK agent for MDS) gave an informative talk around MDS logistics.

A 5km recovery run conclude the activities of the day and then relaxation was the order of the day, with some good food, as plans were made ready for day-2.

Interested in joining us? 2024 is open for booking HERE

#multidaytrainingcamp

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Episode 219 – 35th Marathon des Sables Special Podcast

Posted on November 11, 2021 by talkultra

Episode 219 of Talk Ultra is co-hosted by two times MDS champion, Elisabet Barnes. We discuss the 35th 2021 race with expert discussion on heat from Dr Jodie Moss. We also have eight interviews with 2021 participants: Emma Burton, Gower Tan, John Murray, Kim Hutt, Mags McHardy, Martina Taylor, Paul Been and Pierre Meslet.

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Episode 219 is a Marathon des Sables special. After three postponements, the first in April 2020, a second cancellation late 2020 and then a 3^rd cancellation in April 2021 finally saw the race take place in October 2021. October was selected due to climatic conditions typically being very similar to those of April. Little did we know that October would see freakish high temperatures that would impact on the race.

You can read a summary of the 2021 MDS HERE

You can view a full imagery gallery of the 2021 race HERE

Stats show that 353 completed the event, Rachid El Morabity running the whole event in 21-hours, 17-minutes, and 32-seconds. Christine Taieb was 353^rd in 72-hours, 41-minutes, 31-seconds.

From the 353 finishers, 91 were from the UK, Patrick Kennedy the fastest in 25:16:14 and placing in the top-10 with Martina Taylor the 91^st in 44:06:16.

Below daily race summaries which were published from the Sahara during the 2021 race.

Day 1, 32.2km race summary HERE

Day 2 32.5km race summary HERE

Day 3 37.1km race summary HERE

Day 4 82.5km race summary HERE

Day 6 42.2km race summary HERE

RESULTS

Rachid El Morabity 21:17:32
Mohamed El Morabity 21:32:12
Mérile Robert 22:39:02

Aziza Raji 30:30:24
Tomomi Bitoh 34:39:17
Aicha Omrani 35:47:48

PODCAST

Elisabet Barnes, 2x Marathon des Sables champion co-hosts the show to provide expert opinion as we discuss the 35th edition.

00:43:19 Dr Jodie Moss provides expert analysis on heat and acclimation.

01:22:20 We have 8 interviews with 2021 MDS participants who provide varied perspective and opinions of the 35th edition. Running order is as follows:

01:22:21 Emma Burton

01:42:16 Gower Tan

02:00:14 John Murray

02:19:35 Kim Hutt

02:38:30 Mags McHardy

02:55:30 Martina Taylor

03:11:50 Paul Been

03:28:52 Pierre Meslet

This is a long show, running length 4-hours 11-minutes.

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I’m Ian Corless and she is Elisabet Barnes Keep running

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Marathon des Sables 2019 #MDS #MDS2019 – Stage 4 76.3km

Posted on April 11, 2019 by talkultra

Day-4, the feared and loved ‘long day’ of the MDS. A brutal 76.3km route that for many, personifies what the Marathon des Sables is. A journey of survival, through the varied terrain that the Sahara has to offer.

For most people, it is all about survival and getting through the day, the night and maybe the next day as easy as possible.

The day started at 0815 for the majority of the filed and the top-50 and top-5 women started at 1115 with the prospect of chasing the whole field down.

The day started to cool and cloudy and it looked like the conditions would play in to the runners hands, allowing a comfortable journey throughout the day. Not so. By 10am, the heat of the day came and it stayed that way, just a gentle breeze helping to provide some illusion of cooler temperatures.

The elite race as in previous day’s was all about two people or maybe three if we include Cactus the MDS dog.

Ragna Debats was once again on fire, For sure, she respected the long day and started at a more relaxed pace, but her speed and ability is so far ahead of the rest of the women, that she almost cruised to the line. In all honesty, Ragna’s biggest threat is possibly herself! She is chasing a top-10 ranking overall and that does come with some risk. To push in the Sahara needs a fine balance, get it wrong and dehydration could prove to be the end of an adventure. Ragna is managing everything well and looks incredible.

The real story of the long day was the rise of the UK’s Gemma Game. She looked incredible all day, ran an amazing and controlled race and she moved up the field to now make 3rd on the women’s podium. Aziza Raji ran a solid day and is still 2nd overall, approximately 36-minutes ahead of Gemma. Past winner, Meghan Hicks from the USA had a tough day of sickness and finished well down the field allowing Lauren Woodwiss to move to 4th overall.

In the men’s race, many tried to attack the boss, Rachid El Morabity, but the king of the desert is too smart. He really is a joy to watch in this terrain. He holds back, paces himself, runs within a group and at all times watches what the other runners are doing. He does not panic, he manages his effort and then all of a sudden, he moves to another gear and accelerates away to take the lead and win.

This year’s long day was no different. Attacks came from Julien Chorier, Rob Pope and even Mohamed El Morabity, but the boss watched them and then made his move. Taking another stage victory, once again ahead of his brother, Mohamed. The duo now 1st and 2nd on the overall ranking with Abdelaziz Baghazza 3rd.

The long day will be remembered for a sand-storm that cam in around 5pm. It was quite incredible as the wind brought in a blanket of grating mist that covered all the runners and bivouac making visibility impossible. Runner’s halted in their tracks not able to see a hand place ahead of them. Luckily it was a storm that lasted less than 30-minutes but the carnage was visible to see.

Covering 76.3km’s is no easy task and while the top men and women can make it look easy, the real story is about the 800+ runners who look to survive and endure the conditions to earn a respected MDS medal.

This is the MDS, the human story of fighting conditions, hunger, dehydration and pain to achieve the glory of the finish line.

As darkness came, runner’s pushed in to the void with just the glow of a headlamp and the stars for company. For many, they will also see dawn and travel through another day. MDS is truly a life changing journey.

And finally, Cactus the MDS dog. What a story. The dog joined us on day-2, ran the whole of day-3 and yes folks, he ran the long day. He has become a mascot of the 34th edition. A heart warming story that has travelled the world. Many have worried about the dogs health and his ability to run long distances.

Rest assured, this fella is a true free spirit, a true nomad, a perfectly adapted animal for the terrain. He was checked by a vet and was given the all-clear. Calls for the dog to be ‘rescued’ and taken out of Morocco are well intended but wrong in my opinion. Cactus is in his home, doing what he loves. He should be allowed that freedom. And yes, he has an owner, a hotelier in Merzouga who has confirmed Cactus’ true nomadic spirit.

Tomorrow, the marathon day and the confirmation of the 2019 MDS male and female champions.

Overall Ranking

Rachid El Morabity 15:23:31
Mohamed El Morabity 15:29:12
Abdelaziz Baghazza 16:08:27

Ragna Debats 18:46:11
Aziza Raji 20:54:23
Gemma Game 21:29:11

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Marathon des Sables 2019 #MDS #MDS2019 – Stage 2 32.5km

Posted on April 8, 2019 by talkultra

The mood in camp was one of happiness with day-1 completed, however, the thought of day-2 terrified most. For many year’s, Merzouga Dunes (the highest in Morocco) have often been used for the charity stage as a way to finish the race. In 2016, the dunes were used on stage 1, a sandstorm hit and it was carnage. So, the dunes demand respect.

This year, stage 2 would have the runners leave bivouac and have a relatively easy first 13km that would involve rocky plateau, small dunettes and pass through the village of Tisserdimine.

From cp1, the runners would enter the dunes and then stay there for another 13km – that is a long and tough journey, for anyone, even the best. So, it was with some anxiety that runners awoke to day-2.

The plus side coming that after the dunes, it was an easy and flat run in to the finish.

Ragna Debats after winning stage 1 looked happy in bivouac. Using a liquid only strategy for calories had no impact on day-1 and her enthusiasm for day-2 did not waver. ‘I hd a good day-1, rested well and I am now ready for day-2.’

Ragna departed with the leading men and over the early km’s was ahead of the Desert King, Rachid El Morabity. Her stride long, her form perfect and her posture with the pack, excellent. She was flying leaving all the other women in her wake. She once again obliterated the stage crossing the line in 3:14:22 and giving her 10th overall on the stage – wow!

Aziza Raji who placed 2nd on day-1 once again had a good day looking strong on home terrain. She finished 3rd in 4:05:32.

It was past MDS winner, Megan Hicks, who ran better today moving up the field to finish 2nd in 3:59:00 – a remarkable 45-minutes behind Ragna! Notably, Gemma Game who made the podium last-year had a much better day-2 and finished 4th ahead of Lauren Woodwiss.

The men’s race had many protagonists taking on the reigns of the race from the front, including Julien Chorier, Robert Merile, Abdelkader El Mouaziz, Robert Pope and so many more… But the experienced, Mohamed and Rachid El Morabity hung back allowing the first 13km to pass without incident. As the dunes arrived, the brothers unleashed ‘dune power’ and the rest of the men just had to suffer and follow in their desert prowess.

Mohamed and Rachid ran together and at the line, today, it was the younger brother Mohamed who crossed first, 6-seconds ahead of the MDS master. Their times, 2:52:30 and 2:52:36.

Behind, it was survival, with many of the early protagonists suffering in the terrain and heat. Abdelkader El Mouaziz finished 3rd ahead of Antonio Alongi and Robert Mrile, their times 2:56:14, 3:01:14 and 3:04:02.

For the other 800 + runners it was a day of survival. But the MDS is all about taking on the challenge and finding the strength to push on. Each and every person out there is an inspiration, but look at Faris from the USA with a prosthetic – he personifies the courage of the MDS.

Results Day-2

Mohamed El Morabity

Rachid El Morabity

Abdelkader El Mouaziz

Ragna Debats

Megan Hicks

Aziz Raji

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Marathon des Sables 2019 #MDS #MDS2019 – Day 1 Administration

Posted on April 6, 2019 by talkultra

Runners from all over the world assembled in Morocco for the start of the 34th of the iconic Marathon des Sables, created by Patrick Bauer, 34 years ago!

With a total of 226km’s ahead, the heat of the desert was not the only pressure the participants felt as bivouac 1 was erected in the heart of southern Morocco, close to Erfoud, after a 6-hour journey from Ourzazate.

Day-1 in camp is all about admin as all participants go through a series of checks to ensure their safety on the epic Saharan journey. Running in a self-sufficient manner for 6-days, through intense heat with only water and a tent cover supplied provides a very unique challenge on every runner. It is the reason why, ‘MDS’ as it is known, has pioneered the growth of multi-day racing worldwide.

Since 1986, the statistics show that just over 20.000 runners have participated – That is less than a ‘typical’ year at London Marathon!

To toe the line is a truly unique and life-changing journey.

This years race is a truly unique race with a seriously beautiful course laid out that will show the best of this region. Heading south from Erfoud, the runners will pass through Merzouga Dunes, and on day-5 climb the infamous Jebel Oftal.

For now though, the runners are under bivouac cover, admin day completed and with a hearty welcome from Patrick Bauer.

Tomorrow, the 34th edition starts at 0900, with a relatively easy day of 32.2km.

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