MDS THE LEGENDARY 2025 : RACE SUMMARY

Posted on April 17, 2025 by talkultra

The sand is settling, the 2025 and 39^th edition of Marathon des Sables The Legendary is over.

Quite simply, a hugely successful edition with 95% completion rate and good time vibes felt throughout the Sahara and beyond.

OVERVIEW

Cyril and Olivier with Michael from the USA – Photo by Ian Corless

The transition from 2023 to 2024 was not an easy one. The take over of MDS from Patrick Bauer and into the hands of Cyril and Olivier had created some concern and anxiety. Most certainly, the build up to the 2024 (38^th) MDS had many concerns for participants that were vocalised on social media. However, after the 2024 event, all these worries and concerns were extinguished with an incredibly successful event and high finish rate. You Can read Marathon des Sables – The Legendary : 2024 Summary HERE should you wish.

Nothing like a MDS start – Photo by Ian Corless

From May 2024 to April 2025 the build up to the 39^th Legendary edition was seamless. The successful running and completion of MDS (3-stages over 4-days at 70/100 or 120km) events in Cappadocia, Fuerteventura, Jordan, Morocco, Atlantic Coast and the introduction of Trek and Handi only confirmed the growth, development, upward learning curve and the MDS team bonding and progression.

All of the concerns and worries for the 38^th edition of Legendary played out on social media were not present for the 39^th edition. There is a couple of reasons for this I believe:

The 38^th edition had been a huge success and therefore worries and concerns were answered.
The pro-active communication from the MDS team improved considerably.
Runner testimonies from the 2024 event confirmed that the ‘new’ MDS team and the changes made were all positive.
Evolution, not revolution was the quote that Cyril Gauthier had used in 2023 this was played out in 2024 and then consolidated upon in 2025.

Arrival in the desert – Photo by Ian Corless

THE 2025 EVENT

Welcome to the Sahra – Photo by Ian Corless

Post-race questionnaires are extremely important for the MDS team. Cyril and Olivier very much take all the comments, absorb them, digest them and then move forward with new plans. If a new plan does not work and the participants confirm this, then it is changed. If a new plan works, it is retained. There are no one-stop easy solutions, MDS is an ever-growing and ever-changing event that must constantly be a chameleon to the ever-changing demands and needs of participants.

TRAVEL

A key change for 2025 was in transportation. Two key points:

The core MDS team, based mostly in Paris, travelled to Morocco via train, boat and coach, taking 3-days and not using airplane travel. For 2025, this was a one way journey, a test, to see how feasible and practical this form of travel is. The general consensus from those who did it is/ was extremely positive. General comments were around this being an adventure in its own right, a brilliant opportunity to share more time with colleagues, a great opportunity to work while travelling and so on… I think we may well see this grow into something bigger for 2026!
In 2024, plane travel arranged by the MDS organisation was reduced to a minimum. For 2025 it was eradicated all together. Therefore, participants could no longer take the option of a MDS charter plane but had to arrange flights themselves. This is no big deal with so many flight options available, especially with MDS offering a free transfer coach service from Marrakech to Ouarzazate and post-race, a free transfer service back to Marrakech.

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Catering by the MDS organisation once in the Sahara was removed in 2024, this was reasoned for 2025. To clarify, when the buses leave Ouarzazate for the desert, self-sufficiency begins for the travel day, the fist night in bivouac, the following day (admin day), the evening and then, the following day, the race starts and ‘race’ self-sufficiency begins. There is a difference between the two forms of self-sufficiency as the travel day and admin day you can bring as much or as little as you like. Quite simply, it’s not part of the mandatory race minimum requirement of 2000 cal minimum per day. You can bring tinned food, drinks, wine, beer, caviar…. Whatever you wish! It’s a no brainer to be able to look after your own food requirements and quite simply it greatly reduces the possibility of food related health issues that could potentially ruin a race.

ADMIN DAY

The procedures for admin day were changed for the 2024 edition and they were a huge success. This system was retained for 2025 making the process seamless, fast and considerably less painful than the procedures that had gone before.

BIVOUAC

In principle, it may well look the same, however, there are changes for the very observant. Firstly, the circles that make bivouac are smaller and tighter making the camp much more of a community. In 2025 there were new ‘women only’ tents for those who would prefer this option. On some days, in the middle of bivouac, yoga/ stretching was possible, circle of legend talks and yes, even a big fire.

WATER

The provision of water was drastically changed in 2024 and this was retained for 2025. During the race there is no rationing of water. As you arrive at a CP, water is decanted into your bottles via MDS blue jackets who pour the water from jugs. This water comes from large 5ltr bottles. Quite simply, you can have 2x 750ml bottles filled, you can then drink one and it will be refilled if required – a game changer.

Post-race you are provided with 1 large 5ltr bottle, the is rationed. So, this water must provide hydration post-race, be used for dinner/ breakfast and it must be used to fill your bottles to take you to CP1 the following day.

ICED WATER

CP’s have MDS orange or blue jackets who will pour iced water over your head to enable cooling. It’s a small simple step that makes a huge change that ultimately helps facilitate completion of the Legendary.

ORANGE AND BLUE JACKETS

The MDS would not happen without this amazing team of people. The energy, the enthusiasm, the constant good vibes make the runner the number one priority and YES, these people make the difference between finishing and not finishing. They are 100% switched on with the sole purpose to get every runner across the line. You can get a feeling of how important the blue and oranges are by taking a look HERE on Facebook.

Orange jackets are the medical team who make sure that participants are looked after 100%. They are there for you, no matter what the issue. You will see them on the course at CP’s, in fast response vehicles, in 4×4’s and of course in the medical tents in bivouac.

SAFETY

Any MDS event has risks associated with it. We are often in harsh environments, in challenging conditions, we have varying climate conditions and of course, we have runner’s and staff pushing the limit of what is humanly possible. Safety is taken very seriously and how safety is managed is an ever-changing and developing process.

Legendary had more fast response vehicles, more medical professionals on course, there were 10 medical professional runner’s who did the course and there was a new mobile medical unit for 2025 which is state of the art. There was also the inclusion of the ‘Orange Squad’ – a medical team who do the course the opposite way so that they are able to see runner’s coming toward them and should there be a problem, they can help immediately.

Each runner is issued with a Spot Tracker and this allows the MDS team to monitor each runner on the course and importantly, they have an SOS button which if pressed, will receive a medical response vehicle in minutes.

Feet are always an issue and of course, the medical tent is there to facilitate foot repair in bivouac. It’s important to be self-sufficient and look after your feet yourself, however, as and when necessary, a medical professional is always there to help.

RACE BRIEFINGS

Race start times are very important and pre 2024, the race start time was somewhat unpredictable. This changed in 2024 and was upped to another level in 2025 with every stage starting exactly on time! It may sound like a small thing, but knowing you will be underway as scheduled makes planning so much easier. If it says 0600 start, you know it starts at 0600.

Another change was the addition of an English speaking announcer – yes, it was me! This was the idea of Cyril and we instigated and tested this at Atlantic Coast in January, it worked. So, for Legendary and moving forward, an English briefing will take place and then be translated into French and not the other way around. Stage 6 race briefing may well go down in history as the best. Mood was already high with the final stage ahead, nut hen we had participant, Reujen Lista join us on stage for a ‘live’ version of Highway to Hell – it was epic!

Highway to Hell ‘live’ – Photo by Florian

WEATHER

As always, weather plays a key part in any MDS event. However, we are most definitely feeling the impacts of ever changing climatic conditions. It was always assumed that MDS will be hot and unbearable, history is showing that is not the case. Recently, particularly in Morocco, we have experienced difficult weather: MDS Morocco in October had torrential rain and flooding, the recent MDS Atlantic Coast in January had cooler temperatures, some rain and the last day had full-on sand storms. The 2025 Legendary started calmly and tranquil, it was looking to be a classic race, it was sunny, hot, but not too hot and the winds were relatively calm. That all changed come stage 4 (the long day) with cloudy skies and cooler temperatures in the day. During the night the winds increased, rain came and without doubt, from 2100 hrs the conditions were difficult and challenging. Especially for those who were moving through the night looking to get the long day done. CP’s had cold participants taking shelter looking to get warm and continue the journey. This weather continued through the rest day. Stage 5 had a mix of everything but the heat never came and stage 6 was cloudy, cool and with intermittent rain. There is a very big lesson that needs to be learned, I did say this before Legendary, but now, post-race, I can only say it more, you need to be prepared for bad weather! A good jacket is now essential, so much so, I do think that it should be added to mandatory kit. I also think it wise to make sure that you are able to keep key items, such as sleeping bag, dry during bad weather. Many had wet sleeping bags during the long day which can effectively make them useless, depending on what filling is inside.

THE ROUTE

Legendary is now 6-stages over 7-days and this is a huge difference. Pre 2024, the race was 5-stages and stage 6 was a non-times ‘solidarity’ stage for charity. It’s hard to argue against the charity side of this, however, a non-timed 6^th stage was pointless.

The race is now 6-stages timed and raced.

For 2024, the ‘long day’ was moved to stage 3. For 2025, it was moved back to stage 4. The main reason for this was due to the course and the start/ finish point.

2024 participants, as always, tried to stress that the 2024 edition was/ would be harder than 2025. Of course it’s nonsense. Comments like, ‘Argh, but here was more vertical gain in 2024!’ were unfounded as the people who made these comments had obviously not done due diligence, the reality is the 2024 Legendary was 252.9km’s and the 2025 event was 250km. Vertical gain was almost identical, 2024 was 2788m+ and 2025 was 2710m+

In many respects, the 2025 edition was more ‘classic MDS’ with a marathon after the rest day.

The route was notably different for some key reasons. The Sahara is vast and of course, needs to be explored more. Due to runner demand and logistical reasons, certain features have become almost ‘essential’ when running Legendary. However, Cyril and the team wanted to change that and therefore, there was no Jebel El Otfal in 2025, there was a return to Merzouga Dunes and while the route travelled in similar areas of the Sahara, the track was approximately 80% new. There were some great ‘new’ additions such as the huge dune on stage 4 and the stage 5 route was very special.

THE RACE

Rachid El Morabity once again took victory securing his 11^th and in the process he set a record for the most victories. It’s an incredible achievement to have this level of consistency over so many years. It’s fair to say, the level of competition at the front end of the race was less in 2025. The only real person who could upset Rachid was Hamid Yachou, he unfortunately withdrew mid-race with injury. We could argue all day if Mohamed El Morabity could beat Rachid, the simple fact is, it would not happen. However, as we look ahead to 2026, will Mohamed take over the Rl Morabity reigns? Mohamed is 10-years younger than Rachid and therefore, he has great potential ahead. Also, the inclusion of the 3^rd and younger El Morabity, Mbark, should not be looked over.

For the women, 2023 Legendary champion, Maryline Nakache returned and she was on fire. No, she was untouchable. For perspective, Maryline finished 3^rd on GC for the long day and at the end of the race, was 4^th on GC with the closest time to Rachid, by a woman, in the history of the race. Quite incredible. Aziza El Amrany won the race in 2024 and for 2025 she was 2^nd, she looked great throughout, despite an arm injury, however, she was no match for Maryline. Tomomi Bitoh placed 3^rd, she has placed 3^rd before. However, Annelies Brak would have placed 3^rd had she not received a 2-hour time penalty for non-compliance of mandatory kit.

Rachid completed the race in 20:55:47 and Maryline in 23:57:20. A total of 847 participants crossed the finish line, the last male Tomohito Hirai in 75:49:27 and the last woman, Nemoto Yuzuki in 74:31:01.

Results HERE

POST RACE

Reujen Lista rocking the awards – Photo by Ian Corless

Transfer back to Ouarzazate was easy and seamless with coaches filling with participants and leaving asap. Of course, a hotel, many showers, buffet food and a nice clean bed always feels amazing after the Sahara. The awards dinner turned into an impromptu rock concert with a participant, Reujen Lista, singing 3 songs on stage, the last, of course, was Highway to Hell. It was a fantastic way to end what was a legendary LEGENDARY.

DAILY 2025 SUMMARIES

MDS The Legendary Stage 1 HERE

MDS The Legendary Stage 2 HERE

MDS The Legendary Stage 3 HERE

MDS The Legendary Stage 4 HERE

MDS The Legendary Stage 5 HERE

MDS The Legendary Stage 6 HERE

Image Gallery HERE

Marathon des Sables Website HERE

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MDS The Legendary 2025 – Stage 6

Posted on April 14, 2025 by talkultra

The GOAT of the Sahara – Photo by Ian Corless

The 2025 and 39th edition of MDS The Legendary came to a conclusion with a 21.1km stage under cloudy skies with occasional rain.

A hard won reward – Photo by Ian Corless

The weather did not dampen the spirit of the runner’s though, they were elated, excited and happy knowing that no matter what, today, they would cross the final finish line and receive a medal.

The atmosphere on the start line was electric, especially with an unplanned live version of Highway to Hell by Reujen Lista.

The stage concluded at the iconic Merzouga Dunes and in reality, all the racing was done, at least for the top-3 positions in the men’s and women’s races.

Rachid El Morabity would be crowned champion for the 11th time, a record!

Maryline Nakache would be crowned champion for the 2nd time, this year though, her victory is extra special, she ranked 4th overall, an incredible result. Also notable, her time, was just over 2-hours slower than Rachid, 23:57:20 to Rachids’ 20:55:47.

Mohamed, Mbark and Rachid, unstoppable brothers – Photo by Ian Corless

For perspective, the last finisher was Tomohito Hirai in 75:49:27 and the last female finisher was Sarah Thomas Britton 74:01:23.

An incredible 847 were crowned ‘Legends’ when they crossed the line, a 95% success rate.

The 39th edition will be remembered for a calm ‘classic’ MDS start, temperatures were good, the wind was low and the skies were blue.

However, on stage 4, the long day, the winds increased under what was a cooler and cloudier day. By 2100 hours the wind was roaring, sand was blowing everywhere and suddenly heavy rains came making the conditions horrific for those out on the course and difficult for those in camp.

The cooler weather stayed for stage 5, however, it did brighten in the afternoon only to become windy once agin.

Stage 6 was cloudy and wet at the start and it remained that way for most of the day. The rain came, went, and came back again.

In brief summary, the 39th edition route introduced competitors new areas of the Sahara and stage 2 was considered the hell stage with a great deal of soft sand. Conditions were variable, despite the strong winds and some rain, cooler temperatures certainly made the race more manageable.

FULL RESULTS HERE

Photo Galleries HERE

The emotion on the finish line was electric, as always, from first to last, a whole rane of emotions were witnessed, the glow of a medal making the 6-stage, 250km journey a memorable life changing one.

The awards ceremony in Ouarzazate, may well have been the most memorable yet. The film was shown to a huge applause and then, we were all treated to a live performance by Reujen Lista who performed three songs, the last one, of course, Highway to Hell!

Marathon des Sables Website HERE

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MDS The Legendary 2025 – Stage 2

Posted on April 7, 2025 by talkultra

The mood in bivouac was incredible after stage 1. Many happy runners felt relaxed with the race started and one completed stage. With nerves and anxiety settled, everyone was eager to continue the journey with stage 2.

With 40km’s and 614m+ the day was going to be a considerably harder challenge with 8km’s extra and almost double the vertical of stage 1. For the front of the race this would equate to one extra hour, for those towards the back, considerably more time on the feet.

Wiyh an 0700 start and a slight wind from the east, the runner’s were treated to cooler temperatures for the first 3-hours and then heat started to rise and by mid-afternoon, the temperatures hovered around 30-degrees.

Early action came from Mohamed El Morabity for the men and Aziza El Amrany for the women. Of course, the main protagonists were not far behind.

Maryline Nakache, Ragna Debats and Gemma Game followed Aziza.

For the men, Hamid and Amed ran side-by-side and then Rachid was in 4th just a minute back.

Passing through the early CP’s it was between CP2 and CP3 that Rachid made a move for the front and he pulled away.

Behind, Hamid was in a Mohamed and Amed sandwich, he was marked constantly and of course, Rachid continued to move ahead, reclaim lost time from stage 1 and win convincingly to provide enough margin to lead the race.

With 2-stages covered, the top-3 men are ranked:

Rachid El Morabity 05:54:35
Mohamed El Morabity 05:55:53
Hamid Yachou 05:59:40

Maryline Nakache is on fire this year, the 2023 champion started slowly but once in gear she was on fire, so much so she dominated the stage for the women and finished 6th overall and is now 6th on GC too – impressive.

Aziza El Amrany, the 2024 champion, battled hard, but it was impossible to match the pace of the French woman.

Previous MDS champ, Ragna Debats was in 3rd place ahead of Annelies Brak and Gemma Game.

With 2-stage complete, the women’s top-3 is as follows:

Maryline Nakache 07:07:27
Aziza El Amrany 07:48:31
Ragna Debats 07:58:51

Full results are HERE

Men ranking HERE

Women ranking HERE

Tomorrow, stage 3 is 32.5km’s and no doubt, for the majority, will be a day to move easily and efficiently saving as much energy as possible before the intimidating long day for stage 4.

Marathon des Sables Website HERE

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The Coastal Challenge Costa Rica 2025 – Stage 6

Posted on February 14, 2025 by talkultra

A good nights sleep, no rain, and stage 6 was underway at 0540. Today, 35.9km’s for all racers.

Stage 6 is arguably the Queen stage of the race, it manages to contain every aspect and highlight from all the previous stages and condense them into an incredible and beautiful route.

Early gravel road km’s give way to a stunning waterfall crossing section. A run through farmlands and eventually the coast and beach arrives. The route then weaves its way to Bahía Drake and the finish line.

For many, it’s a day to ease back and enjoy the trails and the views, the reward at the end, a medal.

For much of the day, Pierre Meslet and Sergio Turull ran together, that is, until the final 4km’s when Pierre pulled away to secure the final stage and become TCC 2025 champion.

Sergio was elated to have a good day. As the week has progresses he has acclimated and adapted to the heat, humidity and technical terrain, with victory on stage 5 and 2nd on stage 6, his week has been a huge success.

Katie Young had a steady day running with the other top men, a day to relax and enjoy, confident the overall victory was secure.

Race Results HERE

The finish line is one of emotion and joy, each runner a story to tell, and experience lived and importantly, memories made to last a lifetime. TCC is so much more than a race, it is an adventure into an environment that so few get to see. It may be challenging, tough and difficult, but this is the reward of the journey.

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MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast 2025 – Race Summary

Posted on February 3, 2025 by talkultra

There is always something special about a first edition race. Despite all the planning, despite tight schedules, despite ticking all the boxes, there is always an element of the unknown, a curve ball nobody expected or predicted flying in and causing a problem. Gladly, no curve ball arrived on the Atlantic Coast, on the contrary, the first edition of MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast was a huge success and without hiccup.

Morocco is obviously not a new destination for MDS, Legendary is in its 39th year and MDS Morocco, MDS Morocco Trek and Handi MDS have all happened previously, so, a new event in Morocco feels comfortable.

Close to Agadir, the MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast brings something new to MDS events in Morocco and obviously brings something special to the MDS line up.

Like Fuerteventura and Peru, the ocean provides a backdrop to the race and this alone is unique. The juxtaposition of desert, dunes, beach and the roar of waves and the blue ocean make for a special environment for a race to take place.

LOGISTICS

As with all MDS events, the race is 3-stages taking place over 4-days with 3 distance options, 70km, 100km and 120km. Stage 1 and Stage 3 is the same for all participants and stage 2 is the one where a choice must be made, typically 20km, 40km or 60km. It’s a great format that makes MDS appealing for all ages and all abilities.

With 170 participants and 27 nationalities, the MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast was a great first edition. Notably, once again, female participation was around 50%. MDS are without doubt pioneering the way for female participation in their races and this must be applauded and encouraged.

Travel to Morocco is easy and transfers were provided by MDS from Marrakech (appx 6-hours) or from Agadir, with just a 40-minute transfer to the race hotel, needless to say, most people flew to Agadir.

A Saturday arrival and a Saturday departure, the race format had 2 nights in the hotel, 4-days and 3-nights in the desert and then a return to the hotel for 2-nights before onward travel.

The format provides an excellent opportunity to mix holiday and relaxation with sport.

THE EVENT

Saturday arrival was relaxed and with no commitments for the participants.

Sunday mornning and the MDS admin protocols were in place between 0900 and 1200, this is a requirement for eah participant – equipment is checked, medical certificates are checked, GPX trackers are added to packs and race numbers are provided. The whole thing is efficient, seamless and fast.

The afternoon provided an opportunity for relaxation or sight seeing and then an early dinner and bed.

Departure time for day 1 was 0300 for a 5-hour journey to the desert. On arrival, the plan, as always, was to get the runner’s underway as soon as possible.

Highway to Hell finished and the participants departed under cloudy skies at approximately 0930.

Day 1, stage 1 at 24km’s headed from an inland location and basically headed directly to the coast. The terrain was mixed, with some easy running to start the day, of course, sand featured heavily with a dune section coming just after CP1 and a final dune section concluding the race just before the finish. Temperatures reached a high of 25-degrees and it was a great first day. Bivouac awaited the runner’s and a first night in sleeping bags with self-sufficiency started. The wind blew and the temperatures dropped, a chilly night was expected. Stage summary HERE

Day 2, stage 2, intermittent rain and wind blew in off the ocean and there was a sense of dread at what this day would bring, especially for those participants who would take on the 40 or 60km distances. A challenging start and just a few hours later the weather started to clear and finally, skies cleared and the sun came to make for a beautiful day, highs reached 28-degrees. The course offered an obvious challenge mixing the best of Moroccan terrain with tsome stunning dune sections. The latter km’s running parallel to the ocean to give an epic backdrop. The race wnt into the night with the final finisher arriving just after midnight. Stage summary HERE

Day 3 was a welcome rest day. The skies were blue, the wind gentle and the warmth of the sun relaxing. It was a leisurely and relaxed start to the day. At 1130, blue and orange coats with participants walked to the beach and on the way cleared away rubbish and notably huge amounts of plastic. We race in these magical places and sadly, littering and pollution is high. The ocean obviously washing in debris daily. It was a huge campaign and yes, we may have only provided a small dent in what is a very big problem, however, it felt good and the difference afterwards was noticeable. The remainder of the day was releaxed, as per usual, mid-afternoon, a cold and refreshing drink was provided and as darkness came, most were already in sleeping bags gaining valuable rest before the final day.

Day 4, stage 3 and what a start to the day, the wind was howling from the north bringing with it, at times, torrential rain. Runner’s were ready for the challenge though, with 2 starts, 0800 and 0930 for the top-25, the day got underway and gladly, by 0830 the rain stopped. However, the wind did not. The wind blew and blew, providing a constant headwind and relentless sand storms for the whole 27km’s. It was an epic and special day. Yes, it was hard but boy was it memorable. The joy, the emotion and the tears at the finish made the medal only more special. From the finish line, buses were waiting and as each was filled, they then departed back to Agadir for hotel comforts – shower, buffet dinner and a night in a bed with sheets and comfort. Stage summary HERE

The following day was one of relaxation. Dinner was served at 1900 and then followed at 2000 hrs with a closing ceremony, awards and the showing of the MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast movie. The atmosphere was electric, the feedback incredible, the emotion high, it was a very memorable ceremony that only confirmed the success of the event. An outdoor DJ and dancing concluded the night and brought to a close this first edition.

Saturday and onward journies home.

NOTES AND CONSIDERATIONS

MDS events are meant to challenge you both physically and mentally, some challenge more than others. MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast certainly falls in the latter category with challenging weather and varying temperatures. Having experienced 20 MDS events all over the world, my top-tip is ‘be prepared!’ Deserts are not always hot, they are not always dry and they are not always calm. Have with you a waterproof/ windproof layer, have with you a warm layer (lightweight down or primaloft jacket) and make sure you have eye protection. Trust me, those who did not have sunglasses or goggles for stage 3 suffered badly trying to move forward in a headwind for 27km’s.

Be prepared with a variety of food choices and undesrtstand that what tastes good at home, may not taste good the desert. A balance of sweet and savoury s good and take note, as days pass, the demand for sweet becomes less.

Prepare the mind for the challenge. Understand the WHY you are doing the event and be prepared for anything. The body is an amazing thing that could do incredible things, however, it needs to work in harmony and synergy with the mind to achieve your goals.

CONCLUSION

MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast was a huge success. We were all tested by the weather but this only made the event more special and memorable. The MDS event team have called it the Viavaldi race as we had all four seasons. The Atlantic Coast brings something special to Morocco and in contrast to Legendary, MDS Morocco and MDS Trek, the terrain is different, unique and of course, the ocean as a backdrop is special. No doubt, this event will grow to become an MDS favourite. January is great timing, what a great way to start a year and globally, few races take place so early in the year making this an easy option for those looking for something special post Christmas.

Full race results HERE

Interested in an MDS event in 2025? A full calendar of dates and destinations are available HERE

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MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast 2025 – Stage 2

Posted on January 28, 2025 by talkultra

Stage 2 of MDS Morocco Atlantic Coast and the option to choose the stage distance: 20km, 40km or 60km?

One of the appealing factors of the MDS format is the stage 2 distance option, with stage 1 and 3 the same for all, the stage 2 option allows for an overall distance of 70km, 100km or 120km.

The day started under heavy cloud and winds coming from the north . At 0845 as participants arrived for the start, rain started to fall. It was an ominous beginning for the day and the weather remained challenging with rain increasing in strength during the morning.

Gladly, by midday, blue skies and sun started to appear, however, the wind increased in strength and continued to do so into the night.

With epic landscape, stunning dunes, there was much to appreciate in this stage and despite the weather, runner’s were constantly smiling.

With three distances, rankings change after stage 2, often considerably, for example, Listy Mazille, a clear winner on stage 1 is now the leader of the 1ookm and we have a new leader in the 120km category now.

In the 120km, ranking is as follows:

RACE LEADERS 1 – Yoann STUCK 2 – Göran SCHREY 3 – Stephan BAWEY

WOMEN RACE LEADERS 1 – Anne-Caroline KUSNIERZ 2 – Janina BECK 3 – Adele THOMAS

In the 100km, ranking is as follows:

RACE LEADERS 1 – Listy MAZILLE 2 – Benoit BERCHEBRU 3 – Adrien LHERMITTE

WOMEN RACE LEADERS 1 – Listy MAZILLE 2 – Tiphaine SANQUER 3 – Joana TEIXEIRA

In the 70km, ranking is as follows:

RACE LEADERS 1 – Christian HARTEL 2 – Justine DEBOTÉ 3 – Cyril MALEJAC

WOMEN RACE LEADERS 1 – Justine DEBOTÉ 2 – Vanessa CUADRADO 3 – Audrey SCOTTO

The stage, for many, goes into the night. The last runner will arrive late, maybe early the next day.

Tomorrow, a rest day of relaxation and recovery before the third and final stage.

Full race results HERE

Interested in joining an MDS event in 2025? A full calendar of dates and destinations are available HERE

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Oman Desert Marathon 165km 2025 – Stage 4

Posted on January 21, 2025 by talkultra

It was a morning of relaxation in bivouac, today, stage 4, has the participants starting at staggered times based on ranking. The first departure 1400, the second 1500 and lastly, the fast group at 1700.

The start times are designed to allow all participants to experience the Oman Desert under darkness.

The 30km stage starts with 6.8km’s of dunes and then after a left turn, the route takes a direct line to the finish line and final bivouac night before the final stage tomorrow.

In the 1500 departure, the top women raced head-to-head and unsurprisingly, Aziza Raji once again dominated in 03:59:21 followed by Lydia Oldham, 04:20:23 and today Tanja Schoenenborn, 04:46:13, had a very strong day finishing 30-minutes ahead of Sally Ford.

In the men’s race, it was all guns blazing from the off with Rachid El Morabity setting a super fast pace. It came as a surprise as he has taken the first three stages very relaxed.

He pushed ahead and at cp1 had an 8-minute lead. He continued the charge and crossed the line in 02:37:43.

Behind, Saleh Alsaidi and Mohamed El Morabity chased both pushing each other hard. The elastic eventuall snapped and Mohamed pulled away to cross in 02:44:22, 6-minutes 39-seconds behind his brother. Saleh secured third in 02:50:06.

The final and fifth stage tomorrow will have the participants run a 21km stage. It’s a flat and fast stage with just a short section of dunes to start the day.

Stage 4 results HERE

Full results HERE

Oman Desert Marathon website HERE

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Oman Desert Marathon 165km 2025 – Stage 2

Posted on January 19, 2025 by talkultra

Stage 1 was a tough day, the talk in bivouac was all about the relentless sand and how the final 10km was relentlessly tough.

It was an early sleep for most and the night was a cold one. Temperatures plummeted, especially in the early hour of the following morning.

Bivouac came to life around 0500 and stage 2 eventually started at 0700.

The early km’s were relatively easy and cool. So cool that Rachid wore a windbreaker and gloves… He actually did not remove them all day despite the temperatures rising to 27-degrees.

The highlight of the day was a dune section with sunrise. Pure magic with high views of the surrounding landscape.

While there is no ‘easy’ running here in Oman, the km’s after the dunes were relatively flat and easy.

With Mohamed taking victory on stage 1, a slender 4-seconds ahead of his brother, Rachid, all the action would be around the Moroccan.

The local Omani runner’s, especially Salah Al Saidi did all they could to put him under pressure but Mohamed is too strong. In the final 10km’s he made his move and opened a gap for the stage win in 3:05:54.

Stage 2 of the 2025 Oman Desert Marathon was full of action and spectacular dunes. Mohamed El Morabity and Aziza Raji took the stage wins! — Mohamed – Photo by Ian Corless

Rachid did an amazing job to finish 2nd, 3:09:26 and Saleh 3rd in 3:10:01.

Rachid by contrast was taking it easy, with 20km’s covered he was 5-minutes behind the leaders, however, the attack came and he closed the gap effortlessly and then forged ahead with on of the Al Said.

For the women, Aziza Raji was once again making the sand and the dunes look easy. Lydia Oldham, Sally Ford and Tanja Schoenenborn are all close together, but they are fighting for second.

Tomorrow is another 40km stage, followed by stage 4 which starts late afternoon and goes into the night.

Race results are HERE

Oman Desert Marathon website HERE

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Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

MDS Jordan 2024 Race Summary

Posted on November 11, 2024 by talkultra

MDS Jordan brought to a conclusion the 2024 season of MDS events. It has been quite a year and since Fuerteventura in September, the events have followed one after another, MDS Morocco, MDS Trek Morocco and now MDS Jordan.

Jordan has become so popular as a destination, two events now exist in a year, May and November. Dates for 2025 are May 9-16 and November 1-8.

For the 4th edition, concluding on the 8th November 2024, 599 participants were signed up from 25 different nationalities. Once again, MDS pioneer the way with more women participants than men, 55% to 45%.

Come race day, 520 toed the line over the 3 race distances.

249 in the 120km distance.
190 in the 100km distance.
81 in the 70km distance.

Full race results are available HERE via LiveTrail.

Jordan is not the easiest place to get to and typically, it will require two flights. Istanbul being a popular connecting point but many other options exist. Long haul travel always has potential problems and for the MDS Jordan, participants and staff had several problems with delays, gladly, everyone arrived on time. However, there is some general good advice here for future participants, allow yourself some time flexibility for arriving in Jordan, delays of 12-hours or even 1-day existed for some! Use reputable airlines with good track history, the cheapest option is not always the best!

The current Israel – Hamas war quite obviously was on the minds of participants and some were concerned about travel. However, while the general advice from most governments was to ‘exercise caution,’ there was no reason not to travel. Having spoken to participants post-race, nobody at any time felt safety or security was at risk. The war however ‘may’ have had some impact on travel, it’s difficult to know?

The MDS team do a fantastic job of facilitating everyones arrival in Amman and they provide a bus transfer to the Crowne Plaza hotel which is located on the Dead Sea. The journey takes under 90-minutes.

The hotel is huge with excellent facilities, a good restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, multiple pools, spa, gym and of course, the Dead Sea is on its doorstep. It’s the perfect place pre and post-race. Another great benefit is that its size allows all competitors and MDS staff to stay at the same location. A great bonus for admin day and the post-race awards and gala dinner.

The Dead Sea is obviously an iconic place, located -430m below sea level. It is land locked between Jordan and Israeli occupied west bank in the west and Israel in the south. It is called the Dead Sea due to high levels of salt that make it impossible for any life form to live.

With admin day done, the race got underway with a very early departure on Monday Nov 4th with an approximate 4-hour journey to Wadi Rum.

Daily Summaries 2024:

Stage 1 Summary

Stage 2 Summary

Stage 3 Summary

Stage 1

Stage 1 was scheduled to start at 0930am with 27.4km and 980m+ with arrival at bivouac. A point-to-point day with two Cp’s and a cut-off time of 2000hrs.

The day was a shock for many! It’s a day of stunning views, epic vistas, remarkable landscape and a great deal of soft sand making the journey very hard work. If you are signed up for a future MDS Jordan, be prepared for a tough day 1.

In bivouac, as per all MDS events, individual tents are in circular pods of 8. This is great for group friendship but also allows some privacy.

While MDS events operate on the same formula: 3-stages over 4-days with full self-sufficiency, the exemption coming with rationed water provision and a place to sleep provided by MDS. I cannot emphasise enough that participants need to be prepared for the challenge they are undertaking. Weather and environmental condition vary from event to event and year on year. Just because Jordan was hot at one edition, it does not mean it will always be hot! Look at MDS Morocco in October, rain, thunderstorms and flooding. The 4th edition of MDS Jordan had a very cold first night. For those who did not bring a warm jacket, a warm sleeping bag or additional layers, they had a very cold and troubled night. My TOP TIP is always bring a windproof jacket such as the WAA wind running jacket as an absolute minimum and my high recommendation is to bring a light weight down jacket. Many down jackets exist these days and the top quality products are well under 200g, the Nordisk Y Strato is 165g for example. The advantage of a down jacket is warmth and comfort while sitting around post-race and in addition, on cold nights, you have a very warm layer to wear inside your sleeping bag should it be required. Make sure you have a Buff and cover your head, most heat is lost here!

One advantage of the tent pods is the creation of a communal fire place, in Jordan, most pods created a fire place and this was used for cooking and warmth.

Stage 2

With a troubled night for many, stage 2 would prove a challenge. However, the great thing about MDS events is the possibility to choose how easy or how hard you want the adventure to be. Of course, all things a re relative based on individual ability and desires. The stage had two starts, 0700 and 0800, the top runner’s in the latter start.

At two key points, participants can have a choice, the first option is to choose 20km’s. The second option to choose 40km’s. At the second option point if you choose not to take 40km’s, you must do 60km’s.

249 chose to take the 60km route, 190 in the 40km and 81 the 70km distance.

It was a challenging day, once again a great deal of soft-sand but considerably less vertical gain. For those who took the 60km route, they were treated to some additional technical terrain. At all times, the impressive Wadi Rum landscape was mind-blowing irrespective of the distance chosen.

The day proved to be a long one for some with the last competitor arriving at 0300am the next day and many of the MDS team there to welcome.

Rest Day

It was a welcome day of rest and an opportunity for everyone to get some rest and recovery.

Competitors as per usual, looked after feet, ate as much as possible, slept and took advantage of the local terrain to get some high viewpoints to take in the amazing landscape.

TOP TIP – space blankets that are gold/silver provide excellent options for keeping tents cooler in the day, silver side out. And at night, if required, use them gold side out to keep a tent warmer.

In the afternoon, local fisherman gave a music show and then ice cold drinks arrived for every participant via a camel.

Of course, Born To Be Alive was played and bivouac turned into a desert rave.

Stage 3

Once again, two starts, 0430am and 0630am. Ahead, 26km’s and 733m+ on a point-to-point route that would provide everyone some of the best views that Wadi Rum has to offer. The large dune and the views from the top a highlight.

Once at the finish, tears, joy and laughter, a hard earned medal the reward.

A transfer to Petra post-race for an opportunity to experience one of the seven wonders of the modern world.

Everyone was back at the Crowne Plaza for around 2000hrs. Of course, it’s all about priorities, several showers, fresh clothes and then dinner in the restaurant.

Final Day

Was relaxed, a lazy breakfast, time by the pool, a swim in the Dead Sea and then at 1600hrs the awards ceremony took place followed by the MDS Jordan movie.

Dinner followed outside with remarkable night time views of the Dead Sea. DJ Robin as per usual played some banging tunes and the party and disco went on into the night and the early hours of the morning.

Another MDS Jordan complete.

Finally, while many things are transferable between all MDS events: clothing, pack, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, food etc, one thing is important and it cannot be emphasised enough, be prepared.

Plan for the best and worst case scenarios, plan for intense heat, plan for the cold, imagine your worst case scenario and have a solution. MDS events are self-sufficient for a reason, they bring a challenge and dynamic that is not present at other races, how you deal with it is very much part of the event.

Looking ahead!

Now is time to recover, recoup and plan ahead for 2025. There are no shortage of events. Here is hoping we get to share more time at a MDS event soon:

MDS Atlantic Coast January 25th to Feb 1st
MDS The Legendary April 4th to 14th
MDS Raid Namibia April 26th to May 3rd
MDS Jordan May 9th to 16th
MDS Cappadoccia June 21st to 28th
MDS Fuerteventura September 28th to October 5th
MDS Morocco Oct 12th to 19
MDS Trek Morocco date tbc
MDS Jordan November 1st to 8th
MDS Peru November 29th to December 6th.

WAA clothing, apparel and Ultra bag HERE

Marathon des Sables website HERE

Since 1986, the MARATHON DES SABLES has crossed the world’s most stunning deserts with several unique concepts: the MARATHON DES SABLES THE LEGENDARY (252 km in the Sahara Desert in Morocco), the MARATHON DES SABLES (70, 100, or 120 km spread over 3 stages), and the new 2024 concept, the MDS TREK (4 stages with a total distance of up to 120 km), offering an accessible adventure with optimal comfort. These international events have seen over 50 editions in various countries such as Morocco, Fuerteventura Island, Peru, Jordan, Turkey, and offer adventures that combine running/hiking in the desert with tourism.

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MDS Jordan 2024 – Stage 3

Posted on November 8, 2024 by talkultra

The 2024 MDS Jordan concluded with 26km’s and 733m+ of stunning views and terrain that confirmed Jordan and the Wadi Rum as one of ‘the’ most essential places and experiences to add to your to bucket list.

Wadi Rum is a very special place that rivals Cappadocia for it’s uniqueness.

After a rest day, the participants were ready for the final day. Two starts, 0430 and 0630 would allow all competitors the opportunity to complete the stage before midday and in the afternoon, a visit to to Petra before finally returning to a hotel, shower, restaurant meal and a night in a bed.

A point-to-point route, stage 3 had several key highlights, but the large dune climb and descent, with stunning sunrise views was without doubt a key moment of the day.

The 360 panorama here is stunning and the MDS route weaves among monstering towers of rock making participants small and insignificant within such an impressive landscape.

The race at the front was fast and furious for the men, with Theo Detienne winning the stage with a short margin ahead of the 2024 MDS Jordan champion, Rachid El Morabity. For the women, Sylvaine Cussot was a clear champion ahead of Marine Canas and Pauline Thinus.

Full results for each category distance can be viewed at LiveTrail HERE.

The finish line, as per usual was a place full of tears, emotion and release. The medal and t-shirt a reward for a tough adventure.

Post-race, participants were treated to an excursion to the iconic Petra, an opportunity to relax, sightsee and soak in this iconic wonder of the modern world.