Countdown to MDS The Legendary 2025 – Five

Posted on March 22, 2025 by talkultra

You are in the final 2-weeks for MDS The Legendary.

With this in mind, we follow up the conference calls that took place on Friday March 21st with a summary.

First and foremost, the conference calls were recorded and you can view them on YouTube, the english version is as below.

SUMMARY NOTES AND KEY POINTS

The adventure will be here soon, do not worry, keep calm, 80% of you are first time participants.

Here we will go over the key information about the race.

Logistics

Passport – keep it handy and make sure you don’t forget it! Make sure you have at leat 6 months validity.

Wear race clothing for travel including shoes and gaiters.

Take RACE PACK with all contents as carry-on luggage, this includes the food. The only items you must check-in are poles and knife/ scissors etc.

MDS admin send you a procedure via newsletter in case your checked bag gets lost.

There will also be a pre-race shop at bivouac if needed, this will not have an exhaustive amount of equipment, but it may help in an emergency.

What happens when you land in Marrakech?

At the airport as you exit, after baggage collection, there will be a welcome area on April 2 and 3rd look out for the MDS team wearing orange and blue gilets.

Board your bus

Bus schedule:

KENZI ROSE: April 2 & 3 – 7:00 AM
RAK AIRPORT: April 2 & 3 – 10:00 AM
RAK AIRPORT: April 2 & 3 – 12:00 PM

The drive to Ouarzazate is approximately 4-hour ride + mid-way break MDS will provide a snack. If you have special dietary needs, you should have submitted that on our website. You’re welcome to bring your own snack if that makes you feel more comfortable.

Drop-off at hotels in Ouarzazate – all buses stop at all hotels:

El Baraka
La Perle du Sud
Berbère Palace
Karam Palace

You’ll spend 1 or 2 nights there depending on your booking. Our staff will be present in the main hotels in Ouarzazate if you need anything.

April 4

Transfer to the bivouac

Meet at 7:30 AM in Ouarzazate to board the bus from either:

Karam Palace
Berbère Palace

6-hour transfer

1 break during the ride, lunch pack will be provided BUT I recommend you purchase items in Ourarzazate to take with you, remember dta 1 and day 2 in bivouac is self-sufficient.

REMEMBER you are self-sufficient with food BEFORE the race starts. So, you need to take adequate food, snacks etc. There is no restriction here as you carry this in your luggage.

➤ Arrival at the bivouac with your suitcase and all your gear 

➤ You’ll be assigned an 8-person tent – tent numbers will be shared next week 

➤ Arrival briefing 

➤ Sleep

IMPORTANT – You have luggage with you this night, a great opportunity to fine tune what you will take when racing. If it is cold, you can pack extra layers. If hot, you can maybe take less.

April 5

Technical checks stay in your bivouac tent and a member of the MDS team will come to your tent and tell you when to go. Expect this to take approximately 1-hour.

You will drop your luggage at the technical check. you will not see or have access to luggage until AFTER the race when you return to Ouarzazate.

Rest in camp and prepare for the race.

April 6–12

Race Stages You’ll discover the stage details in the roadbook, given to you when boarding the bus on April 4.

The long stage will be the 4th stage.

The race will be 250km’s over 6-stage / 7-days.

A typical stage:

Early starts so you will be getting ready in the dark.

Checkpoints every 10km (+/-) with unlimited water

We recommend carrying an extra soft flask for flexibility – but remember, you carry it!

Each CP has shaded rest zones

Orange-vest staff to help if needed for any medical issue

Cold water available to cool your neck (bring a neck gaiter!)

Feminine hygiene products available at bivouacs and on course

Minimum pace is 3.5 km/h – no stress, go at your own rhythm.

End of the stage: You can refill your bottles + get a 5L water bottle to last to CP 1 the following day.

EQUIPMENT

Review the list of mandatory equipment

First night at the bivouac: Good opportunity to test how cold it gets.

Bring a proper sleeping bag,

Have with you warm layers, light down jacket, etc.

Sleeping mat is highly recommended

Make sure you have tried and tested shoes with gaiters

Foot care – trim your toenails before the race – not too short, not too long. A pedicure can be a good idea.

Bring socks you’re used to, and maybe a spare pair.

Foot care during the race:

Clean and let your feet breathe after each stage.
If you feel a blister or small injury, go see the medics immediately – don’t wait!

Rain? 

Keep a rain jacket and a rain cover for your bag in your WAA pack – just in case.

Protect yourself from the sun: Hat, sunscreen, sunglasses – don’t neglect anything!

Clothing: Test your gear beforehand to avoid surprises One race outfit + one bivouac outfit is enough

Fire starter bricks – available in the pre-race shopMENT

MDS EQUIPMENT via WAA HERE

Food & Nutrition

Before the race: Food for the evening of April 4 and the full day on April 5 – whatever you like.

During the race: Plan 7 days of food: breakfast, lunch, dinner. For the last stage, only breakfast + snacks for the stage are needed. A lunch pack will be given on the return bus.

So, you need roughly 20 meals, totalling around 12,000 to 14,000 calories minimum.

Strategy – Test your meals and drinks in advance! Don’t bring 3 or 4 of the same meal unless you’re sure you like it.

Backpack weight It adds up quickly – aim to be as close to the minimum 6.5kg as possible. This does NOT include water.

Medical Advice Hygiene rules:

Never drink tap water.
Don’t share bottles or cups.
Avoid raw vegetables at hotels or elsewhere.
Stick to cooked food before and after the race.
Your digestive system will be sensitive.
Heat and stress can also cause minor digestive issues.
Don’t panic – mild diarrhea is often just your body adjusting (and it might even make you lighter!).
Limit physical contact at the bivouac.
Wash hands frequently – especially before eating or after using the toilet.
Use hand sanitizer often.

Tips for a safe race:

No self-medication If you feel unwell, don’t self-medicate.
Avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen, Voltaren, etc. – they can cause serious complications during intense effort.
Talk to the medics instead.
No COMPEED® for blisters They melt into your skin in the desert heat and make treatment harder.
Hydration Drink according to thirst – don’t over hydrate.

Drink two diluted bouillon cubes per race day.
MDS do not provide salt tablets as they’re not recommended.
Treat pain early The earlier, the better – avoid complications.
Listen to your body Fatigue, dizziness, pain – speak to an Orange Vest!
Medical Form One week before the MDS Legendary, you’ll receive a medical questionnaire from: no-reply@logicoss.net. Filling it out is mandatory to help the medical team take care of you during the event.

Race Tracking

Friends and family can follow you on the MDS website
Live tracking page
Live webcam
EMOTION BOXES
Satellite phone
There will be some connection spots – but we recommend disconnecting and enjoying the moment.

Final stretch:

Stop training. If possible get some heat acclimation – sauna, heat chamber, hot yoga etc

Don’t stress.

Once you’re in Morocco, we take care of everything.

Enjoy it!

Any questions? Call us.

A full recap will be emailed to you next week with all these details.

Follow Ian Corless

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

Countdown to MDS The Legendary 2025 – Four

Posted on March 20, 2025 by talkultra

It is two weeks to go, finally the big target is in your grasp, MDS The Legendary 2025 is waiting! To all intents and purposes, your training is now done. You will not get fitter in these last 14-days, only more tired, more stressed and potentially injured. Accept that the work is done, other than some easy runs or walks to keep moving and some planned heat acclimation, use the extra time that would have been used for training as planning time.

DON’T PANIC!

If you have got this far, you are in a great place.

When you break the race down, here are my TOP 20 TIPS of what to focus on for Marathon des Sable – The Legendary.

MEDICAL

Make sure you have all the medical requirements fulfilled and an up to date ECG as specified in MDS rules and regulations. There can be no compromise here. The MDS medical time, quite correctly, are adamant that all protocols must be adhered to. This is for your safety.

The organization provide a medical certificate which you must download and you must have a resting electrocardiogram (ECG) report plus graph, dated less than 30 days before the start of the race.

The original documents are to be presented during the administrative, technical and medical checks on the admin day in bivouac. Failure to present these documents will incur penalties (see ART.27 et 28).

Note:

The signature and the stamp of the doctor must be applied on them.
Only the original documents, dated and signed, will be accepted (photocopy is not valid).

TRAINING

Well, we are all individuals, we all have different abilities, we all have different goals, we all have different free time and the list could go on. Importantly, keep the balance of training days the same. If you typically run 5-days a week, maintain those 5-days and reduce the volume/ intensity.

The Taper:

Week 2: 40km or 4.8 hours
Week 1: 20km or 2.4 hours (race week)

Your body needs to keep alert and active. So make sure you add some stimulus in this taper period, short periods of faster running and/ or hill work are ideal. However, do all this with the priority not to get injured. Now is not the time to get a niggle, a sprain or a problem.

ACCLIMATE

In the final two weeks of taper you need to hone in on acclimation to heat and prepare the body.

Read HERE on the best protocols.

Don’t leave this to the last minute, plan ahead, especially if using a heat chamber. Heat chambers are limited and obviously, time slots are limited.

If you do not have access to a heat chamber think of other options: sauna, hot baths, bikram yoga, adding layers when running, or if you are lucky with time, arrive in Morocco early and taper in a real situation.

EQUIPMENT

You will have been mulling over equipment for months and you may well have tweaked and changed your choices. Now, with 2-weeks to go, this is the time to make sure you have everything you need and also understand what it all weighs.

Clothes must be comfortable and not rub.
Shoes fit perfectly, give no hot spots and are suitable for the desert environment and have gaiters.
Socks work for you.
Sleeping bag is light and warm.
Sleeping mat
Food
Mandatory kit

READ THE ESSENTIAL MDS EQUIPMENT LIST 2025 and Countdown to MDS The Legendary 2025 – Three

Use LIGHTERPACK to keep a track of everything.

FOOD

You need a minimum of 2000 calories per day. Lay food out for each day and have a spreadsheet that itemises everything and shows the weight and calories.

Where possible, re-package food in smaller and lighter packaging. Particularly important with dehydrated meals. Read HERE

TRAVEL

Runner’s are required to be at Ouarzazate Airport on the morning of Friday April 4th. Travel is for you to plan, flights are no longer provided by the MDS organisation, however, they do offer a free transfer service from Marrakech.

To get to Morocco and Ouarzazate, you can arrive at various airports:

Ouarzazate airport – Fly to Ouarzazate before the race and spend one or more nights in a hotel (at your own expense), then come to one of the meeting points on the morning of April 4. You must arrive no later than April 3.
Marrakech airport – Shuttles will be organized on the morning of April 2 and 3, 2025, between Marrakech and Ouarzazate (5-hour journey).

Travel in your run clothing including your run shoes with the gaiters. Yes, you are going to look somewhat ‘special’ at the airport but trust me, luggage goes missing and you do not want to be the person standing in the Sahara watching your dream slip away because of lost luggage.

Take your run pack with all contents for the race as carry-on. You can take pretty much take everything: food, sleeping bag, essentials etc. The only items you cannot take are run poles and knife-

Take spare items in your hold/ ckeckin luggage. MDS varies considerably in temperature, we get hot and cold years. Never assume it will be hot. You have the opportunity in bivouac to fine tune equipment before admin.

Purchase food and drinks at the airport to take on the plane. Also consider when you land in Morocco, you will have an approximate 6-hour bus journey to bivouac 1, take food and drink with you for this trip. However, MDS do ptovide you with a packed lunch.

Have cash with you, depending on which airline you use, card payments are not always possible, also, in Morocco, cash is king.

ARRIVAL

Runner’s are required to be at Ouarzazate Airport on the morning of Friday April 4th see above.

Runners will then fill buses, road books will be given and then you transfer to the desert. Expect 6-hours.

At bivouac you will find your tent and settle in.

REMEMBER food is now NOT provided and you therefore need to feed yourself on arrival day and admin day. There are no restrictions on weight or calories here, so, take as much as you want and plenty of variety, this includes drinks. Only water will be in camp.

As mentioned above, until admin, you have your luggage with you, so, you can have more layers, a more comfortable inflatable bed and some luxuries – consider what will make these days more pleasurable and comfortable. Importantly, you can fine tune your race pack with more or less layers based on the weather forecast and conditions.

ADMIN DAY

On admin day, prepare all your kit and make sure you have everything prepared and ready. Also make sure you have all mandatory and essential kit. Once you have passed through admin, your luggage is taken away and you will not see it again until after the race when you return to Ouarzazate.

Race self-sufficiency actually only starts the following day with stage 1.

Admin used to be a long and lengthy process, however, the system changed in 2024 and it was fast and seamless. Make sure you have a drink and snacks while waiting. A top tip is carry an umbrella to protect you in case of a very hot day.

RACE

The race will be 6-stages over 7-days. The distance will be 250km’s and the long day will be stage 4. There will be no Djebel El Otfal and Merzouga Dunes are back. Cyril Gauthier described the route as very beautiful and very tough. There will be a great deal of soft sand. Listen to a podcast where this is all discussed Countdown to MDS The Legendary 2025 – Two

“…and for sure it will be tough, I am not going to tell you that it will be easy! The distance will be 250km’s, I am little unhappy because I cannot put the long stage in the third position, I loved this last year, but according to our plan, we need to move it to the fourth stage. It will be tough, very tough and really beautiful. We have some amazing places planned, 80% is new tracks. You will see places never seen before in any MDS. There will be no El Otfal, there will be lots of sand and yes, Merzouga will return.” – Cyril Gauthier

Ease in to the race. Respect the challenge ahead. A slower and calmer pace on stage 1 and 2 will be rewarded on stage 3 and especially on stage 4, the long day. Remember after the long day you have a rest day. Stage 5 will almost certainly be a marathon, stage 6 a half marathon, plan for this physically, mentally and make sure you eat well to have the energy.

AFTER THE RACE

You will cross the finish line and be given a medal.

You will then be requested to board coaches that will be waiting for you. As each bus fills, it will depart for Ouarzazate, expect a 6-7 hour journey. A packed lunch will be provided.

On arrival in Ouarzazate, you will go to your hotel, your luggage will be waiting and then you have free time, dinner will be at your hotel.

The following day is a free day. In the evening it will be the awards ceremony.

Departure day, please make sure you check details for transfers to Marrakech if that is applicable for you.

Interested in another MDS event in 2025?

A full calendar of dates and destinations are available HERE

Follow Ian Corless

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

Marathon des Sables 2021 #MDS – Stage 2

Posted on October 4, 2021 by talkultra

It was a sombre mood in bivouac this morning, the 25 withdrawals at the finish on day-1 increased during the night as runners struggled with vomiting, sickness and bad stomachs. At breakfast, there were approximately 39 out of the race.

At almost the same distance as day 1, day 2 caused anxiety amongst all the runners as it contained 13km of Erg Chebbi (Merzouga), the highest dunes at Morocco that would see the fastest runners complete in under 2-hours (for just the dunes) but for most, it would be a long, hard slog under a relentless sun with pounding heat.

A day of mixed terrain, there was some interesting terrain early on as the runners moved from the start and passed through Tisserdemine village before arriving at CP1.

Rachid, as ever started behind the front-runners and then slowly took control of the front of the race as he entered the dunes. He is a master of the terrain and a joy to watch.

His brother. Mohamed, started much farther back allowing the front to pull away from him. But again, like his brother, he moved in to 2^nd place and it was here he finished 6-minutes behind Rachid. Aziz as in day 1 finished 3^rd.

For the women, Aziza once again used her experience to pull-away in the dunes with a convincing lead ahead of Aicha and Hassana who finished closely together just a couple of minutes apart.

One again the terrain and the heat caused devastation on the race with medical teams and helicopters in constant use. CP1 before the dunes looked like a medical tent from a war zone with IV drips hanging everywhere.

Tomorrow is a longer day!

It’s going to be a restless night in bivouac.

*I will update this post in due course as Patrick Bauer has asked all runners and media to assemble in the middle of bivouac at 1900 hrs. He will address all with news…?

*Sadly, a runner died today due to a heart attack. Patrick informed the family this afternoon and has updated all the other participants and media. Needless to say, the race is in mourning for a fellow runner. A minutes silence will be held at the start tomorrow and the race will continue as normal.

Day 2 standings:

Rachid El Morabity 5:42:35
Mhoamed El Morabity 5:46:58
Aziz Yachou 5:53:16

Aziza Raji 8:22:00
Aicha Omrani 8:55:15
Hasssana Hamdouch 8:57:30

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.