Marathon des Sables: What a Week in the Desert Really Looks Like
The Marathon des Sables has always been legendary. In 2026, it becomes something even more special.
This edition marks the 40th anniversary of the race. Four decades of runners crossing the Sahara under their own power. Forty years of stories, struggle, and unforgettable moments. To honour that history, the 2026 race will be longer, tougher, and designed to celebrate everything the event has become.
As we move through March, I’m sharing a short series of weekly articles to help sharpen your preparation. This is the third of four. The goal is simple: remove uncertainty.
When you arrive in the desert, you should know what to expect.
For many runners, especially first-timers, the unknowns can feel overwhelming. What happens when you arrive in Morocco?
- How does the bivouac work?
- What does a typical day look like?
- And how do the logistics of such a remote race actually function?
Let’s walk through it together.
The Evolution of the Race
The Marathon des Sables has changed over the years, and many of those changes focus on reducing environmental impact.
Past participants will notice significant differences. Charter planes have been removed. More transport now happens overland. The race increasingly relies on local staff and local produce. Media presence has been reduced. A storage centre in Morocco limits the need for shipping equipment every year. Transport trucks have been reduced, and power-saving measures are everywhere, including solar energy.
Water management has also evolved. In the past, runners received 1.5-litre bottles. Today, the race distributes 5-litre bottles, dramatically reducing plastic use during the event.
Behind the scenes is a large support structure dedicated to safety.
• Around 120 medical staff, known as the Orange Jackets, monitor runner safety 24 hours a day.
• The Blue Jackets focus on runner relations. They are present in the bivouac, on the course, and at checkpoints. If you have a question or concern, they are your first point of contact.
Out on the course, SSV vehicles provide rapid access across the route and carry medical professionals for immediate response. In addition, there are 12 support 4×4 vehicles and a unique system of 40 camel patrol teams. These local teams monitor specific zones and report any issues quickly.
Add to that 20 medical patrol staff on the course and another 25 blue and orange jacket team members, and you begin to see how carefully the race is supported despite its remote setting.
Arriving in Morocco
Your journey begins in Ouarzazate, the meeting point for the race.
Plan to arrive at least one day early. This gives you time to settle in and avoids unnecessary stress before the adventure begins. Hotels are your responsibility to book.
The organisation provides free transfers from Marrakech to Ouarzazate, usually departing from the airport and a designated hotel. Always check official timings before travelling.
On Day 1, buses depart from Ouarzazate for the first bivouac. The journey takes roughly six hours across spectacular desert landscapes. A lunch pack is provided, but it’s wise to bring extra snacks and drinks.
When you arrive at the bivouac, you’ll be assigned a tent number. Remember you are self-sufficient in regard to food, water is provided. For the moment, you still have access to your luggage. The following day, after administrative checks, you will deposit that luggage and begin the self-sufficient part of the race.
From this point forward, the desert becomes your home.
Life in the Bivouac
Bivouac life is simple. Very simple.
There are no showers and no power. You live under traditional desert tents with seven other runners. It can feel crowded when everyone is organising gear, so respect each other’s space and keep things tidy.
There are a few practical rules that quickly become important:
• Toilets are installed throughout the bivouac and at checkpoints.
• Some toilets are designated women-only or mixed-use, and it’s important to respect those arrangements.
• Biodegradable hygiene bags are provided and waste is separated into organic and sanitary bins.
Phones are strongly discouraged in camp. The bivouac is meant to be a place for rest, conversation, and disconnection. If you need to make an emergency call, move away from camp out of respect for others.
There is also an IP phone available for emergency calls, costing €2 per minute.
Another change from previous years is the removal of the email message system. This reinforces the race’s self-sufficient spirit and saves thousands of sheets of paper that were previously used to print messages.
Instead, runners can use Emotion Boxes to record short video messages that are sent to loved ones. You need to designate before the race who these messages will be sent to.
At the centre of camp sits the Info Tent, where Blue Jackets are always present. This is where you:
• collect your daily water
• ask questions
• check rankings
• access medical support if needed
Additional facilities include women’s changing cabins and sanitary products available both in the bivouac and at checkpoints.
A few other important bivouac rules:
• Never light a fire within 50 cm of tents
• Do not walk barefoot
• Drop empty water bottles at designated recycling points
• On bivouac move days, return containers to the Info Tent
It may sound strict, but these rules keep the camp safe, clean, and functioning smoothly.
The First Administrative Day
Administrative day begins at 9:00 AM.
This is when everything becomes official.
You will go through administrative, technical, and medical checks, while the MDS shop opens nearby. At the shop you can purchase WAA apparel, fire bricks and any other last-minute things you may have forgotten or need.
Each runner receives one 5-litre bottle of mineral water, which must last until the first checkpoint of the race.
Before heading to the checks, prepare the required documents:
• Passport
• Completed technical control form
• Medical certificate
• Resting electrocardiogram (ECG)
During the admin process you will:
1. Deposit your luggage (it will later be returned to you in Ouarzazate).
2. Present your documents and mandatory equipment.
3. Have your race pack weighed.
4. Undergo medical verification.
5. Receive your GPS beacon.
6. Submit your technical control form and receive two race bibs.
If you need to discard a personal item listed on your form later, you must inform the organisation or risk a penalty.
Later in the day:
• 4:30 PM – Stage briefing
• 6:00 PM – 40th anniversary photo session
The race is now very real.
A Typical Day in the Desert
Every stage day follows a similar rhythm. Wake up will typically be around 0400 to 0500.
Breakfast is self-sufficient, using the food you’ve carried with you.
Stage tart times vary, but be prepared and ready for 05:30. If temperatures are high, the start may move earlier. Plan for at least 90 minutes of preparation before the start.
Thirty minutes before the stage begins, you must be ready. The race starts on time and no one is held back.
Out on the course, each checkpoint typically between 8-10km’s provides:
• water distribution
• medical presence
• toilets and hygiene supplies
At the finish line, you receive a 5-litre bottle of water, which must last until the first checkpoint the following day. To clarify, you need to drink, cook dinner, wash (if you can spare the water), make breakfast and fill bottles ready to last to CP1 all from the 5ltr bottle.
Each evening the Info Tent and medical clinic are open.
Safety in the Desert
Despite the race’s self-sufficient nature, medical support is extensive. Assistance is available before, during, and after every stage. However, runners are expected to understand basic foot care, which is essential during multi-day desert racing.
For more serious problems, the Dokever medical team takes over.
If you must withdraw from the race, you must notify the organisation. In emergencies, medical evacuation will occur. For non-emergency withdrawals, transport will be arranged back to Ouarzazate, but hotel and food costs will be your responsibility.
At night during a stage, headlamps are mandatory.
Navigation and Desert Conditions
The course is marked clearly and all checkpoints are mandatory. Cutting across the course is forbidden.
Compass headings in the road book are provided as guidance if visibility becomes poor. Know how to use a compass and take a bearing!
Sandstorms
If a sandstorm arrives:
• protect your eyes – you need good glasses and ideally goggles
• cover your nose and mouth typically with a Buff or similar
• stay close to other runners
If visibility drops, stop moving and immediately remove compass and take a bearing for the direction of travel. When conditions improve you can move again relying on the compass bearing to ensure you are going in the correct direction.
If you stray from the course, the organisation will receive an alert from your GPS beacon and locate you.
If You Become Lost
It is highly unlikely that you become lost at MDS, however, it is possible to stray of course and feel disorientated. If you cannot see course markings for ten minutes:
1. Stop and assess your position.
2. Climb a small rise if possible to scan the horizon.
3. Backtrack for up to ten minutes if necessary.
Remember, you have a tracker, so, MDS organisation will know where you are and will be able to find you – do not panic.
As a last resort, activate the SOS function on your GPS beacon.
Distress signals can also be made using whistle blasts or torch flashes at night
To alert SOS with a whistle, the internationally recognized distress signal is three short, sharp blasts, followed by a pause, and then repeated. While the full Morse code for SOS is three short, three long, and three short blasts, the simplified “three blasts” method is more commonly used in disaster preparedness to call for help.
To alert SOS with a torch, flash the light in a repeating pattern of three short flashes, three long flashes, and three short flashes.
Medical Requirements
All runners declare medical information during registration.
During race checks, you must present:
• an original medical certificate
• a resting ECG
Failure to provide these documents results in disqualification, though emergency testing may be available on site for a €200 fee.
Medical staff specialise in sports and tropical medicine and operate throughout the race.
They also have the authority to withdraw any runner deemed medically unfit to continue.
The Stages
The 2026 race covers approximately 270 kilometres +/- across the Sahara. Total elevation gain will be around 2500m +/-
Confirmed distances will be in the road book, anticipate the following +/- km’s.
Stages include:
• Stage 1: 37 km
• Stage 2: 41 km
• Stage 3: 29 km
• Stage 4: 100 km (You have two days to complete this stage.)
• Stage 5: 42 km
• Stage 6: 21 km
To complete the race properly, runners must carry enough food to provide at least 14,000 calories. Remember, this is the minimum, you may well need more than this, so, balance calorie requirement and weight carefully.
The runner is self-sufficient and must carry ALL they need for the whole race, water the only exception.
After Each Stage
Once you reach the bivouac again, recovery begins immediately. You will receive a 5ltr water allocation which must last to CP1 the next day. Stage 4 an exception due to the rest day where extra water will be allocated.
Start with a recovery drink before preparing food.
Important – take off your shoes and socks right away. Let your feet breathe and inspect them carefully while you are waiting for water to boil or, you are waiting for a meal to hydrate.
Eat a meal within 1-hour of finishing the stage.
Changing into clean or warmer clothing can make a huge difference. It allows running gear to dry and gives a mental reset for the next day. However, you also need to balance weight – keep ‘extras’ to an absolute minimum.
Sleep and rest is another priority. A sleeping mat helps enormously for rest, relaxation and sleep comfort. Your sleeping bag must be light but warm enough for desert nights. We are all different, so know what you need.
Be meticulous with your gear. Eight runners share each tent, and it can quickly become cluttered. Keep your bag packed and store items immediately after using them. Desert winds or sudden sandstorms can easily carry equipment away, especially lightweight items like sleeping mats.
A Buff around your neck is invaluable. It lets you cover your nose, mouth, eyes, and ears quickly when conditions change.
Many tent groups also create a simple cooking area using stones and small branches for fire. Often the first runner back begins preparing the cooking area for everyone else.
Over time, these small routines become part of the experience.
And the bivouac itself becomes something special.
You will share the tent with people from all over the world. You will go through highs and lows together. Some moments will be difficult. Others unforgettable.
Many runners say the friendships formed here last a lifetime.
That is the spirit of Marathon des Sables.
After the Finish on Stage 6
Cross the finish line of the final stage and you will receive your medal, water allocation, and a packed lunch.
Then you board a bus back to Ouarzazate. Buses leave as soon as they are full, so, no need to hang around and wait for ages.
The bus will take you to your specific hotel and your luggage will be waiting at your hotel.
What comes next is simple but glorious:
- a shower…
- then another shower…
- and maybe one more.
- Clean clothes.
- A real bed.
- A proper meal.
The following day is free to relax and explore. Remember the MDS shop! Later in the afternoon there is a dinner, awards ceremony, and celebration party.
After that, the journey home begins.
But the memories of the desert tend to stay with you far longer.
MDS WEBSITE HERE
MDS Tour and MDS Clubs for 2026
Join the MDS Clubs on HEYLO HERE.
The MDS Tour starts in January and moves from location to location, Register HERE
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IAN CORLESS 