mds ultra morocco | IAN CORLESS

For 40 years, the Marathon des Sables has defined the edge of human endurance. It began as a wild idea, could someone run across the Sahara carrying everything they needed to survive?

That idea sparked a revolution. MDS became the godfather of the ultra-stage racing, a test of self-sufficiency, resilience, and pure grit. In recent years, MDS has expanded beyond its roots: the MDS 120, the exploratory TREK, the demanding RAID, and the mind-bending Crazy Loops.

Each one a new take on the same promise, to push the limits of what a runner can handle.

January 2026, 9th to 14th

MDS returns to Morocco with something raw, stripped back, and different.

MDS Ultra – Morocco

One stage.

One journey.

A single unbroken push across the Sahara.

One race, two distances, the iconic 100-miles or 100km’s. You choose the distance, and, you don’t even have to decide until mid-race… At around 60 km’s (tbc), you’ll face a moment: choose100K or push through to the full 100-miles.

The course is fully marked. You won’t need to navigate. What you will need is focus, patience, and fight. You’ll be moving across the open desert, flatter than the classic MDS route, with firmer, more compact sand underfoot. The terrain will allow for speed, but don’t let that fool you. Weather in the Sahara is unpredictable, especially in January. You could get heat, wind, even rain. And when the sun drops, the temperature will follow. Nights will be cold, and you’ll feel it in your bones.

This is self-sufficiency in its purest form. You carry your own food, survival kit, and race gear. Water is provided at aid stations every 10 km’s, and every 30 km’s, you’ll reach a life base: a checkpoint to rest, refuel, seek medical support, or just sit in silence for a moment. But no outside help is allowed. No pacers. No spectators. Just you and the desert, on your terms.

The race begins with your arrival in Morocco on January 9 2026. You’ll be transferred to a hotel where the countdown begins. The next day, the technical briefing will cover everything: your gear, the course, the conditions, the risk, and the reward. Then, on January 11, you’ll be taken deep into the Sahara for the start. No frills. No countdown show. Just the wind, the sand, and the clock ticking. You have 40-hours to finish. Whether you run 100 km’s or 100-miles, that’s the window. What happens inside that window will stay with you for the rest of your life.

As the race unfolds, time stretches and bends. The sun scorches your back, the wind whistles across the flats, and at night, under the stars, the desert becomes silent and infinite.

Somewhere out there, maybe after 70K, maybe after 90, your mind will try to pull you backwards. That’s when you’ll know you’re doing something real. When your legs ache and your thoughts get loud, you’ll understand what makes this event different. This isn’t just an ultra. It’s a rite of passage.

Cross the finish line, and the pressure falls away. You’ll eat real food, sleep in a warm bed, and look around at the other 199 people who know exactly what you just went through. The next day is yours to rest, recover, and celebrate. An awards ceremony and gala dinner mark the end of the journey. You’ll laugh, maybe cry, and raise a glass with strangers who’ve become something more. Then, on January 14, you go back to the world – changed.

MDS Ultra – Morocco is for those who want more from an ultra than just a finish time. It’s for those who don’t need a crowd to run, who are curious about what happens deep into the night, when the course is quiet and the only thing guiding you forward is the sound of your own breath. This race is designed to be accessible and challenging at once. The course is fast and flat. The cut-off is generous. The experience is massive. You don’t have to be a world-class runner to finish. You just have to want it enough.

Only 200 runners will be accepted. The entry fee is €1750, but the first 40 to register get a €150 discount. Any previous MDS finisher, regardless of which event, gets €200 off. You can defer your entry for free, and the cancellation policy is flexible to protect you from life’s curveballs. There’s no fine print. No hidden extras. What you see is what you get.

This is a return to the roots.

A simple journey.

One course, one finish line, one desert.

No stages.

No shortcuts.

Just the raw, beautiful brutality of a long-distance run through one of the most iconic landscapes on Earth.

This isn’t about medals or social media moments. It’s about becoming part of something that can’t be manufactured, a moment of stillness inside suffering, a glimpse of clarity inside chaos.

Be a pioneer. Be part of the very first MDS Ultra. The stories from this race will be the ones others reference for years to come. In a world of overproduced, overhyped events, this is something real. The desert doesn’t care who you are. It doesn’t care what you’ve done before. But if you show up, if you commit, it will show you something few others will ever experience.