The Marathon Des Sables
‘If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl……but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward."
Martin Luther King Jr.
The Marathon des Sables (MdS, Marathon of the Sands, or Sahara Marathon) is a six-day, 250+km (156+ miles) ultramarathon, which is the equivalent of six regular marathons across the Moroccan Sahara Desert.
The longest single stage , usually the 4th day is a non-stop double marathon stage around 91 km (57 mi) long.
The race is conducted in temperatures often exceeding 100'F across barren desert plains, mountains and huge sand dune fields.
Competitors must be self sufficient (Except for drinking water which is rationed and handed out at every checkpoint), carrying everything from food to something to sleep on, that they require for the 6 days of the race. Evenings are spent in basic tents (Bivouac shelters) which offer little in the way of comforts and are generally open to the elements (note that a Venom pump is a mandatory item!!)
There are no facilities for showering and competitors will expect to spend the entire event in roughly the same clothing! (think about that the next time you remove your gym gear!!)
It is generally considered to be the toughest foot race on Earth.
Compulsary Kit
This section is copied straight from the official 2012 rules
Each entrant must provide his/her own food from 8 to 14 April inclusive.
He/she must select the type of food best suited to his/her personal needs, health, weather conditions, weight and back-pack conditions.
We remind you that airlines strictly forbid the carrying of gas (for cooking) on board either as hand luggage or otherwise.
Each competitor must have 14 000 k/calories, that is to say a minimum of 2000 k/calories per day, otherwise he/she will be penalised
Gas stoves are strictly forbidden.
Survival gear:
• backpack or equivalent (best suited to each participant),
• sleeping bag,
• head torch with spare batteries,
• 10 safety pins,
• compass, with 1° or 2° precision,
• lighter,
• a whistle,
• knife with metal blade,
• tropical disinfectant,
• anti-venom pump, (oh, great......snakes!! Morocco is home to 12 species of snakes and 10 types of scorpions—all of which are venomous. Most are nocturnal.)
• a signalling mirror,
• one aluminium survival sheet,
• 200 euros or equivalent in foreign currency.
Survival Kit:
It is supplied by the organisation and will include the following:
• a road-book issued on 06 april,
• a distress flare,
• salt tablets,
• a check-in card (CP and water),
• 8 sachets for the toilets.
This kit will be issued during the technical and administrative checks in Morocco. A luminous stick will be issued at the non-stop stage.
Video of the Mds
Competitors must carry all personal belongings and food for the entire event in their backpack. Water and tents are supplied by the organizers.
In 1994, Mauro Prosperi, a police officer from Rome, got lost in a sandstorm and wandered several hundred kilometres off course.
He managed to live for the next nine days on a diet of boiled urine and dead bats. He lost over 13kg (30lbs) during his ordeal but returned to Morocco to race twice more.
Three competitors have died during the race
As of 2009, Lahcen Ahansal from Morocco had won 10 titles, and his brother Mohammed Ahansal 3 titles.
In the 2009 race, there was heavy rain, in the two days before the start of the race, causing the first and last day's stages to be cancelled due to flooding. This had never before occurred during the history of the MdS. To compensate, the 'long stage' was the longest in the race's history at 56 miles.
The 2011 race saw a new winner take the podium, Rachid Morabity, Mohamed Ahansal's pupil and fellow countryman, in a time of 20 hours, 58 minutes and 19 seconds. It was the longest yet at 250.7 km.
For 2011 - the event used:
400 Support staff overall - 100 volunteers on the course itself
6 “MDS special” commercial planes
100 All-terrain vehicles
2 “ Ecureuil “ Helicopters and 1 “Cessna” plane
23 buses - 4 Quads
1 incinerator lorry for burning waste
52 members of medical team
More than 6.5 km of Elastoplast, 2700 Compeed, 19000 compresses
Over 6000 painkillers and 150 litres of desinfectant
1 editing bus, 5 cameras, 1 satellite image station
Fast Facts
The Camel Spider!
Competitors in the Marathon Des Sables often fear one of the desert's permanent residents, the Camel Spider. Since the arrival of British troops in the Middle East, many rumours, some true, others less so have spread. Make your mind up to which are true or not. Either way I don't want to meet one!
The Camel Spider can grow to the size of a frizbee.
They run at up to 10mph, usually making a hissing or screaming noise whilst chasing Humans to relieve themselves in their shade from the desert sun .
Camel Spiders are not spiders at all, they are infact Solpugids .
They Kill Camels to lay their eggs in the dead creature's stomachs.
Camel Spiders can jump 3 feet high.
They eat or gnaw on people while they sleep. Due to the numbing effect of their venom, the victim is unaware until they awake.
Clearly the one on the left is not a camel spider