Founded in 1986 by French adventurer Patrick Bauer — who had crossed part of the Sahara alone two years earlier — the first MDS had 23 competitors. Today it attracts 1,000+ athletes from across the world each year, with a regular waiting list.

The Legendary edition covers approximately 250 km in 6 stages with full food self-sufficiency: every runner carries their own food for the entire week. Only water is provided at checkpoints.

The current organiser is WAA (What An Adventure), directed by Cyril Gauthier.

Spain has a real stake in this event:

• Mònica Aguilera Viladomiu won the women's title in 2010, the first Spanish woman to achieve this.
• Anna Comet Pascua won the women's title in 2022, confirming Spain's presence on the podium.
• Luis Enrique (former FC Barcelona and Spain national football manager) completed the race in 2008.

The exact route changes every year (revealed progressively), but the stage structure follows a well-established historical pattern:

Technically the easiest day, but psychologically the most deceptive. Most first-timers go out too fast, fuelled by adrenaline. The ergs (great sand seas) start here. Elite time: ~2h45. Average finisher: 5–6 hours.

The body starts feeling accumulated fatigue. Temperatures peak at 45–50°C at midday. Feet still slightly swollen from day one begin generating serious blisters where sand meets sock. Elite: ~2h55. Average: 6–7 hours.

Shorter and more technical. Rocky jbel terrain alternating with dunes. Many runners finish feeling strong — and badly misjudge how much they have left in the tank for what comes next. Elite: ~2h20. Average: 5–6 hours.

This is the defining stage of the MDS. Over 70% of all DNFs happen here. 90+ km with no realistic time cutoff for non-elites — most runners cover the final sections at night with a headtorch, blistered feet and depleted reserves. Sand dune fields, rocky pistes, dry wadis. If you're going to quit, you'll find out here.

Elite: ~8–9 hours. Average: 18–30 hours. Many runners cross the finish line at sunrise the following day.

DNF hotspot: between km 60 and km 75, when bodies have already been moving for 10+ hours and both glycogen and mental reserves run out simultaneously.

After the hardest night of the event, you run a full marathon. The body is in survival mode. Paradoxically, many runners find a second wind here: the end is almost visible. Elite: ~3h10. Average: 6–8 hours.

The shortest stage, traditionally run alongside visually impaired athletes. The lap of honour. You cross this finish line and you are an MDS finisher.

The organisation publishes the official checklist each year. Historical requirements include:

The most expensive mistake: carrying too much weight. Every extra 100g becomes 25 km of extra suffering. Veterans weigh every single sock.

• Stages 1–3: Conservative pace. If you feel comfortable, you're doing it right.
• Long stage: Start running, end walking. There is no glory in a pacing suicide.
• Hourly nutrition: 60–80g carbohydrates + electrolytes every 45 minutes without fail.
• Feet: Pre-tape preventively BEFORE blisters appear, not after.

• Rachid El Morabity, 11-time champion, maintains ~20–22 km/h pace on flat terrain.
• Top 10 male: under 20 hours total.
• Top 10 female: approximately 23–26 hours total.

1. Starting training too late. MDS requires 6–8 months minimum. Arriving in March without ultra base is a serious problem.
2. Not training with a loaded pack. Running with 8–12kg completely changes your biomechanics.
3. Ignoring blisters on Stage 1. A small blister at km 30 is a palm-sized blister at km 200.
4. Underestimating night cold. Saharan nights drop to 5–10°C. The contrast with 45°C days destroys thermoregulation.
5. Pushing Stage 3. The shortest stage fools many into overextending — they arrive wrecked at the Long Stage.
6. Bringing food you don't love. 7 days of the same thing under extreme stress. If that freeze-dried pasta is mediocre at home, it's inedible at km 180.
7. Not cutting toenails short. Long toenails hitting the front of your shoe on sand descents = guaranteed black toenails.

• Daytime temperature: 40–50°C (peak around 13:00–15:00)
• Night temperature: 5–15°C (varies by year and elevation)
• Wind: The chergui (eastern wind) can appear without warning, raising heat index by 5°C
• Sand storms: Visibility can drop to 10 metres
• Humidity: Very low (<15%), making dehydration insidious — you often don't feel thirst until it's already late

Ouarzazate, the gateway city, offers:

• Hotel Berbere Palace: the most-used by MDS participants, with strong pre-race atmosphere
• Riad Dar Kamar: more intimate option with authentic Moroccan cooking
• Aït Benhaddou Kasbahs: 30 min away, UNESCO World Heritage — ideal for acclimatising 2–3 days before the race

Flights: Madrid/Paris → Ouarzazate direct (seasonal); or Madrid/London → Marrakech + 3h bus/taxi.

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The Marathon des Sables is not for everyone. It's expensive, brutal, and demands months of serious preparation. But every runner who has crossed that final 7.5 km stage knows exactly what it means: that you are someone who doesn't quit when the desert tells you to.

If you're on the waiting list for 2026 or already registered: SportPlan has every prep event you need before Ouarzazate.

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Data verified 30 March 2026. Sources: Wikipedia/Marathon des Sables, marathondessables.com, SportPlan database.