MDS 120 JORDAN 2025 – Stage 3

Posted on November 8, 2025 by talkultra

Stage 3 of MDS 120 Jordan, 26 unforgiving kilometres, darkness and the glow of head torches started a day full of promise and pressure. At sunrise, Wadi Rum ignited in gold.

This was the final stretch, the last push through soft sand, searing silence, and soul-stirring scenery. One last chance to earn the medal. One last trial through the desert’s raw beauty and brutal truth.

The route cut through a living painting, towering rock faces, vast plains, and dunes sculpted by centuries of wind.

The first challenge: a steep descent down a glowing dune, soft sand cascading beneath every step. It was beautiful. It was punishing.

As the sun climbed, so did the heat. Every footfall dragged through thick sand. Every glance ahead revealed more of the same: no shortcuts, no reprieve, just the relentless call to keep going.

The terrain twisted between jagged mountains and flat expanses that played tricks on your sense of distance. Wadi Rum doesn’t offer false hope, only real demands. But in that, it gives something rare – clarity.

At the conclusion of stage 3, runners will have logged 70, 100, or even 120 kilometres across Jordan’s desert. Stage 3 wasn’t just the final day, it was the exclamation point.

Bodies were depleted, minds frayed, but the finish line pulled like gravity.

And what a finish. The final stretch opened into a wide, sun-drenched plain, the sound of cheers carried by desert wind.

At the line, tears flowed freely of pain, pride, exhaustion, and elation. Medals were placed on tired and elated bodies, but the real reward was something deeper.

Every runner who crossed that line brought a story. Some came to test limits, others to heal, some to prove a point only they could understand. Each journey was personal, yet all were part of something greater, a living, breathing mosaic of endurance and emotion. This is what made MDS 120 Jordan more than a race.

And within the mosaic, some pieces really stood out, especially the two pieces of Danielle and Bernard – Bernard had completed MDS Legendary and wanted to share the MDS experience with his wife of 50-years – they experienced MDS 120 Jordan, side-dy-side, an incredible and awe inspiring journey of love and solidarity that touched the sole of every participant and staff – this personifies MDS.

And then there’s Jordan itself, its people, its land, its soul. Their generosity turned this challenge into a celebration. Without them, the journey would have been just hard. With them, it was unforgettable.

Now it’s over. Sand still clings to shoes and skin.

Muscles ache. But the desert leaves more than blisters and fatigue, it leaves memories burned into the heart. It leaves friendships forged in dust and sweat.

Stage 3 wasn’t just an ending. It was a transformation. And the desert? It watched silently, as always, as each runner a piece, a small tiny piece and part of the vast, magnificent puzzle that is MDS 120 Jordan.

And each runner will carry it with them forever…. It leaves a new version of themself, one they didn’t know existed.

Interested in a MARATHON DES SABLES EVENT?

More Info HERE

Follow Ian Corless

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

MDS 120 JORDAN 2025 – Stage 2

Posted on November 5, 2025 by talkultra

A Brutal, Beautiful Battle Across Wadi Rum

The second stage of the MDS 120 Jordan began today under a sky that could stop you in your tracks. As the sun climbed over the horizon, it lit up Wadi Rum in gold and fire. Towers of sandstone blazed in the morning light, and the vast silence of the desert seemed to breathe. It was a moment of calm before the suffering.

At 0700, the main field set off, hundreds of runners stretching out across the sand in a single wave.

An hour later, at 0800, the top-50 elites launched from the start line, eyes locked on the far horizon and the distances ahead. Three choices lay before all runners: 20 km, 40 km, or 60 km. No matter the distance, no one got an easy day.

By mid-morning, the heat was already rising fast. There’s no mercy in the Wadi Rum sun. The sand, soft and shifting, sucked at every step. It was a grind from the first kilometer. For many, fatigue from Stage 1 was already in their legs. Now, it became a question of how much pain they could manage, and for how long.

But the landscape kept pulling people forward.

Runners wound through canyons where shadows clung to the rock walls, through open plains that shimmered in the heat, and over dunes that seemed to have no top. The colours changed constantly, red, orange, ochre, bone-white. Every climb gave a new view, and every descent brought another challenge.

Support points were lifelines. Blue and orange jackets worked hard to keep everyone hydrated, motivated, and upright. Every shaded tent was a brief oasis. Words of encouragement were exchanged in multiple languages, often between competitors who had just met but already felt like teammates. That’s how it goes out here: shared struggle, instant connection.

For those tackling the 60 km, it was a full day and night affair. As the sun dropped, temperatures fell fast, and headlamps started flickering on across the desert. The sound of footsteps on sand and the occasional burst of laughter carried in the darkness. Some ran together in quiet partnership; others moved solo, locked in their own internal battles.

By midnight, many had reached the bivouac, collapsing into sleeping bags or cheering others in. But the course was still alive. The final competitors came in just after 0100, nearly 18 hours after the first wave set off. There were hugs, tears, and a level of exhaustion that only the desert can deliver.

It was a brutal day. But it was also unforgettable.

Wadi Rum tested everyone, their legs, their lungs, their minds. But it gave something back too: the raw beauty of this land, the solidarity of the competitors, the deep satisfaction of pushing past limits. Stage 2 didn’t just challenge people. It changed them.

A rest day brings and opportunity to re-charge, and stage 3 brings more kms, more heat, more unknowns. The reward, a medal and memories for a lifetime.

Wadi Rum sleeps under a silent sky, and every runner who crosses the finish line , whether first or last, has earned the reward.

Interested in a MARATHON DES SABLES EVENT?

More Info HERE

Follow Ian Corless

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

MDS 120 JORDAN 2025 – Stage 1

Posted on November 3, 2025 by talkultra

INTO THE FIRE OF WADI RUM

Wadi Rum, a land that looks like another planet but punishes like the real world. This year, close to 600-runners from 31 countries are taking on the MDS 120 JORDAN – a three-stage ultra through the desert, spread over four days with one crucial rest day. With a choice of three ´distances, 70km, 100 km, or 120 km – but no matter the number, the journey starts the same way: in the scorching, silent furnace of Wadi Rum.

Welcome to Wadi Rum

This desert is not just scenery, it’s a character in the race. A vast, cinematic expanse of red sand and jagged rock, Wadi Rum, also called “The Valley of the Moon” – feels ancient and otherworldly.

Think towering cliffs, sand that grips your shoes like quicksand, and a horizon that never seems to get closer. It’s a place that doesn’t care how well you trained.

The silence is thick. The beauty is brutal. And from the first step, they feel it: this is going to be tough.

The Numbers Behind the Madness

This year’s field is as diverse as it is determined:

• 600 competitors

• 55% women—a powerful showing in an event known for pushing limits

• 93% are first-time MDS runners

• Youngest runner: 18-year-old – Charles

• Oldest: 74-year-old – Gunard

They’re backed by a lean but formidable race organization team:

150 staff, including 25 medics on the ground, constantly monitoring, assisting, and ready for anything.

Stage 1: 27.4 Kilometres of Reality Check

Day one hits fast and hard. Stage 1 is 27.4 km, but under the Jordanian sun and over Wadi Rum’s unpredictable terrain, it feels twice that.

The stage includes two checkpoints:

• CP1 at 8.5 km

• CP2 at 9 km

The land between them is rugged, and the gap is designed for course management and medical observation. Smart racers use both to fuel, hydrate, and recalibrate.

The course itself is a ruthless sampler platter: loose sand, sudden inclines, rocky outcrops, and heat that seems to rise from beneath your feet. There are no spectators, no shortcuts, no illusions. Just you, your gear, and the next checkpoint.

The Desert Doesn’t Care

The heat, the terrain, and the weight of self-sufficiency slows everyone down. You carry everything: water, food, gear, your doubts.

Every climb feels like three. Every descent threatens your knees. Sand invades everything. By midday, the only thing that’s soft is your resolve—if you let it be.

Shared Solitude

Despite the isolation, there’s camaraderie. Strangers share conversations. Encouragement is shouted in a dozen languages. Some falter, some stop. You need help, someone will stop for you.

The bivouac after Stage 1 is rough but welcoming. Yellow WAA tents flap in the wind. Meals are cooked with shaky hands. But the feeling is clear: we made it. One day down. Two to go.

What This Stage Really Means

Amazingly, 93% are running an MDS event for the first time, Stage 1 maybe a rude awakening? It tells the truth, immediately and without apology: this may (will) hurt. But, if it was easy everyone would do it!

And for all 600, from the youngest to the oldest, it’s a reminder that the desert doesn’t care about your splits. It rewards grit, humility, and the will to keep moving.

Interested in a MARATHON DES SABLES EVENT?

More Info HERE

Follow Ian Corless

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

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.

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.

Instagram – @iancorlessphotography

Twitter – @talkultra

facebook.com/iancorlessphotography

Web – www.iancorless.com

Web – www.iancorlessphotography.com

MDS Jordan 2024 – Stage 2

Posted on November 5, 2024 by talkultra

It was a cold night, the temperature plummeted when the sun disappeared and bivouac became a place of camp fires and groups of runner’s huddled together trying to keep warm.

As always, MDS events are about planning and being prepared, the need for a jacket, and ideally a down jacket, was never more important. Those with sleeping bags that were too minimal, had a cold and shivering night.

A new day was welcomed and today two starts, 0700 for the masses and 0800 for the top-50.

Stage 2 of MDS is special due to the three route option, 20km, 40km and 60km. The decision can actually be made on the course, the first option obviously 20km and then 40km. Pass the 40km turn and you are doing the 60km.

The three route option is as much a mind game as a physical game. Given the option, do you choose to go easier or harder, it’s a tough question to answer for some, especially after a challenging stage 1 that gladly saw everyone finish.

Due to the nature of the three distances, the true story of who leads each distance will come at the closing of the stage, so, check LiveTrail HERE for 120km, HERE for 100km and HERE for the 70km.