The year 2021 marked the 35th edition of the Marathon des Sables, a mythical race organized in the Moroccan desert. Discover the event won last weekend for the eighth time by Rachid El Morabity.
The 35th edition of the Marathon des Sables has just finished in the southern Moroccan Sahara. The principle of this unusual race? To run 250 km in the desert with enough food on your back to live on for a week (only water is provided). To celebrate the return of this sporting monument after a two-year absence, here is a selection of figures and anecdotes that should please you!
8 : the number of victories in the Marathon des Sables for Moroccan Rachid El Morabity. With this new victory, he comes close to the record held by his compatriot Lahcen Ahansal and his 10 victories.
50 % the number of finishers this year. A 2021 edition reputed to be the most difficult by the organizers. The reason? The heat, the global health crisis, intestinal problems and the shock of the death of a runner on the second day of the race. Usually, between 90 and 95% of the starters cross the finish line.
For the first edition of the MDS, only 23 participants took the start in 1986. A far cry from this year's 750 runners, and the 22,000 since its creation.
The pace is free to cover the 250 km of the course, and the average speed varies between 3 and 14km/hour. Thus, the competitors take between 18 and 83 hours to complete this competition. The main difficulties: the weight of the backpack, the relief and the presence of sand. Not forgetting the heat of course. The overall temperature is around 30°C, with peaks of up to 45°C.
The route of the Marathon des Sables is a highly guarded secret every year. It is only revealed the day before the event. Moreover, the event is organized in the desert, far from civilization and tourist areas, making any assistance impossible as required by the rules.
In 2021, three participants of the famous TV show Koh-Lanta set out to tackle the Marathon des Sables: Dorian Louvet, Mathieu Blanchard (fifth overall) and Alix Noblat (who unfortunately had to abandon during stage 4 for medical reasons).
The Marathon des Sables is strongly attached to its solidarity impact. In 2008, the association Solidarité Marathon des Sables was born, with the aim of "developing projects for children and disadvantaged populations in the fields of health, education and sustainable development in Morocco". In 2019, the organization proudly inaugurated the MDS Solidarity Center, a place that brings together classrooms, computer rooms, rest areas, and spaces for early learning sports and athletics. In addition to the programs put in place, many participants come to run to promote a cause. This year, 43 associations were listed on the competition's website.
The environmental impact is also a major concern of the event. This year, for the second time, the entire carbon footprint of the race was offset. A very strict protocol is applied to waste management. For example, bottles and packaging are marked with the number of the race number, so a penalty is applied if they are abandoned in the desert by a runner.
Among the outstanding profiles, the Frenchwoman Anne Bonzoumet was the oldest runner of the event. At 70 years old, she has already run the Marathon des Sables nine times: "My level is average, and with the years it weakens, but my only objective is to arrive, and above all to arrive in good shape to continue without being injured and to be able to run again and again". Another experienced competitor, Christian Ginter 67 years old, holds the record of participations with 33 starts.
Hannah Mary Bradshaw, who has Lyme disease, is also present. Her big dream was to run the Marathon des Sables before she turned 40. Unfortunately, life decided otherwise: "For several months I was unable to move, then it was as if I had lost my identity and my future. I had to recover little by little with the fear of not being able to do what I used to do... With the help of my family and my community, I got back on track and the challenge "to do the MDS before I turned 40" became "to celebrate my 40th birthday on the MDS". A nice revenge for her 41st birthday!
In the unusual category, Nicolas Duplàa decided to run the race in espadrilles because "the stride is more natural. It makes the other runners wonder, it allows me to exchange ideas, to meet people and to promote our beautiful Basque Country. I'll be the first to take part in the MDS in espadrilles, I'm very proud of that! A particularity in the image of Loury Lagardère. The French explorer had decided to run barefoot, as he has done on several desert crossings before. He was finally forced to give up because of the condition of his feet.