1,000 runners gear up for 2025 Marathon des Sables in Moroccan Sahara
The 39th edition of the legendary Marathon des Sables will take place from April 4 to 14, 2025, in the heart of the Moroccan Sahara.
This year, participants will face an unprecedented distance of 252 kilometers, spread over six stages. This marks the longest distance ever recorded in the history of this mythical event (previous editions did not exceed 250 km). Nearly 1,000 runners from 52 countries will forsake all comforts for an extraordinary sporting and human adventure, pushing them to explore the limits of their endurance.
Organizers promise a demanding challenge, but also an exceptional experience for all participants. Among the favorites are brothers Mohamed and Rachid El Morabity, with a significant challenge for Rachid as he aims for a record-breaking 11th victory at the Marathon des Sables. He will be joined by the talented Aziz and Hamid Yachou, as well as other top-level contenders.
In the women’s category, the competition promises to be equally intense with the return of two great figures of the event, Marilyn Naget and Ragna Debats, who will challenge the reigning champion, Moroccan Aziza El Amrani.
The Marathon des Sables is a unique endurance event where each runner must be completely self-sufficient in terms of food and carry their own equipment over 252 kilometers. But the distance is not the only challenge: participants will face the scorching dunes and rugged terrain, painful blisters, sleeping under a communal tent despite the heat and wind, without showers, subsisting solely on freeze-dried meals, and being deprived of phones and connection to the outside world, immersed in the isolation of the desert.
Detailed Program:
Friday, April 4: Arrival in Morocco, bus transfer to the desert, and installation at the bivouac.
Saturday, April 5: Day of technical, administrative, and medical checks + night at the bivouac.
Sunday, April 6: Stage 1 + night at the bivouac.
Monday, April 7: Stage 2 + night at the bivouac.
Tuesday, April 8: Stage 3 + night at the bivouac.
Wednesday, April 9 & Thursday, April 10: Long stage over two days + night at the bivouac.
Friday, April 11: Stage 5 + night at the bivouac.
Saturday, April 12: Stage 6 + night at the bivouac.
Sunday, April 13: Awards ceremony, festive evening, and night at the hotel.
Monday, April 14: End of the adventure and transfer to the airport.
Credit to Story by Omar Soussi
