SOUTHPACIFIC | IAN CORLESS

MDS 120 Peru Returns After Three Years

After three quiet years, the MDS returned to Peru and wasted no time reminding everyone why this race holds such a special place in the calendar. Nearly 300 participants from 37 countries lined up for Stage 1, with women making up half the field. That alone set the tone. This race is global, balanced, and ready to make noise again.

The opening stage covered 25.8 kilometers in a clean, straight progression from the inland sands toward the coast.

The line carried runners through the wide-open plains of the Ica Desert, where the world seems to stretch in every direction.

Mild temperatures and cloud cover helped early on, but later the wind arrived. It pushed hard. It dropped the temperature. It forced every runner to stay sharp.

The reward waited ahead. As the course tilted toward the ocean, the landscape opened even more. Big horizons. Rolling dunes. That endless South Pacific backdrop that feels unreal even when you are standing in it.

Few races offer this blend of desert silence and ocean power. Peru does it in a single frame.

The bivouac sat between Nasca and Playa Roja, tucked in a spot that feels carved out just for the MDS. It is the signature of this edition, a camp perched at the edge of land and sea. Runners arrived chilled from the wind but energized by the setting. The view alone could reset a tired mind.

This is the heart of MDS 120 Peru: a three-stage, four-day challenge built around terrain that refuses to be ordinary. Stage 1 delivered everything the return deserved. A bold start. A striking route. A reminder that Peru does not just host a race. It elevates it.