teams of two | IAN CORLESS

Second Edition Confirmed for April 25 to May 2, 2026

The adventure is back. From April 25 to May 2, 2026, the second edition of MDS Raid Namibia will return to one of the most breathtaking landscapes on Earth, and this time, it’s bigger, bolder, and ready to test your limits.

A Race Like No Other

MDS Raid Namibia isn’t your typical ultra. It’s a Raid format: multi-day racing where each stage takes you deeper into wild, untouched terrain. You and your partner navigate the course together, carrying your essentials, relying on one another’s grit and skill. The rhythm is different from a single-stage event, it’s about strategy, recovery, and building momentum over days in the desert.

Namibia: More Than a Backdrop

The desert here is alive with colour and contrast, towering red dunes, sun-bleached plains, and skies so vast they feel infinite. But the real magic? The people. From the warmth of local communities to the camaraderie among competitors, every smile, handshake, and shared moment turns the race into something unforgettable.

Two Distances, One Challenge

Whether you choose 90km or 107km, you’ll face a course that demands strength, patience, and partnership. The shorter option is still a serious test; the longer route adds extra sting to already challenging days.

Teams of Two

This is not a solo fight. Every team is two runners — sharing the highs, lows, decisions, and celebrations. It’s about knowing when to push, when to pace, and how to keep each other moving forward. You’ll finish this race with more than just a medal — you’ll leave with a bond forged in heat, dust, and determination.

Under the Star Night

And then there’s Star Night — a moment that transcends competition. Out in the desert, far from city lights, the sky becomes a canvas of constellations. It’s an evening to pause, breathe, and feel the scale of where you are. Stories are shared, laughter carries through the darkness, and the adventure takes on a whole new light.

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MDS Raid Namibia 2026 is more than a race. It’s an odyssey. Whether you come for the challenge, the scenery, or the connection, you’ll leave with a story only this desert can write.

The desert is calling.

Read and in-depth summary of the first edition in 2025 HERE and be inspired to join this magical adventure, ‘Testing Limits on the Edge of the Atlantic.’

MDS RAID NAMIBIA WEBSITE HERE

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Introducing Europe’s highest race! The iconic Monte Rosa will once again host the ultimate test of fast and light, low to high and back again, a true race in the SKY! Celebrating 25-years of Skyrunning, the race returns to the Italian Alps retracing the original race route all the way to the summit of Monte Rosa at 4554m.

MONTE ROSA SKYMARATHON & ALAGNA-INDREN SKYRACE® will be a spectacle like no other on the Skyrunning circuit. It’s an exclusive event brought to you be the founders of the sport.

Covering 35km’s and 7000m of vertical gain and descent, runners will cover snow fields, glaciers, moraine in true Skyrunning style! Runners will participate in teams of two, roped together.

It’s a personification of the sport. A return to the glory days of the early 90’s and for sure, it will become a spectacle like no other!

A shorter race for individual runners, the Alagna-Indren SkyRace® will also take place on the same day reaching 3,260m.

The events will attract top international athletes including skyrunning stars – past and present – and ski mountaineering champions aiming to challenge the incredible records set in 1994 by Italians Fabio Meraldi in 4h24’ and Gisella Bendotti in 5h34’.

The course

The route retraces the original route first completed in 1993 from Alagna Valsesia, 1,192m, via the Bocchetta delle Pisse, 2,396m, to the Indren cable car station at 3,260m. It continues towards the Gnifetti Hut, 3,647m, Colle del Lys, 4,250m, to summit at the Margherita Hut, 4,554m returning by the same course to Alagna.
The route ascends and descends along paths, ski runs and across glaciers in a loop for a total distance of 35 km and 3,490m vertical climb.

The course is on mountain trails with demanding uphill and downhill sections, over snow fields, glaciers with crevasses, exposed areas, steep pastures and scree, possibly subject to severe environmental and weather conditions, summiting at 4,554m.

A high level of physical preparation is required, high altitude mountaineering experience, knowledge of the risks of the terrain and the ability to manage eventual sudden changes such as strong winds and below zero temperatures.

Join the race of the year HERE