Sneak peak of the 26th MDS course

(from the event website... www.darbaroud.com... note details of the actual course and distances of each stage is only provided to participants on 1st April as we board a bus and driven into the Sahara).

ADVANCE INFORMATION - Itinerary 26th SULTAN MDS


The reconnaissance mission for the 26th MDS has come up with a course worthy of the event’s reputation. Anyone who thought it might be hard to devise an itinerary to match the beauty and difficulty of the 25th anniversary MDS will soon see that nothing is impossible after all. We can now announce that the 26th SULTAN MARATHON DES SABLES will be a wonderful event in every sense of the word.

To stir the imagination of forthcoming participants, here are two or three exclusive snippets from the 2011 itinerary.

With its 13 km of majestic dunes, Erg Chebbi will be one of this year’s high points. The dunes, Morocco’s highest, are undeniably difficult to cross, but in recompense they offer a feast of arabesques to the eyes. Several jebels with slopes exceeding 12% will add colour to the course and reveal some breathtaking scenery. It’s a wonderful sensation to stand high and take in a 360% view. Patrick and his trackers once again took their time to contemplate those familiar panoramas that have lost nothing of their charm.

This year, sand and dunes will be present in every stage of the marathon. There will also be numerous oueds to cross that no one ever goes over because they are off the beaten track. Some remote villages will be passed through, giving an idea of the daily lives of a people attached to their land and traditions. Also included will be a pair of dried-up lakes and a few steep-sided gorges to bring reality into the picture. And the valleys, of course – there will be some very beautiful valleys, plus plateaux with pretty black stones littered with fossils. If you want to know more, you’ll just have to come and see it for real on 1 April 2011.

Many people look at a programme like this and wonder if they will be ready, or if they are up to standard. Obviously, you need to train hard to get to the finishing line, but that doesn’t mean that you need to be a Super Marathon Runner to finish. Speed isn’t everything, and a good walker is perfectly capable of completing the MDS, and often arrives a lot fresher than a runner who has had trouble pacing him or herself. It’s important to realise that this unique opportunity to cross the desert in complete security is not reserved to a select few. Discovering the majestic landscapes of the Moroccan southern Sahara is a rare pleasure within the reach of experienced hiking enthusiasts.

When it comes to the competition, clearly only the great champions will get to taste victory, but most competitors simply target the finish line, which above all calls for a good dose of determination and knowing how to pace yourself.

On that subject, and to conclude, Patrick BAUER would like to inform runners that pacing themselves is crucial, because the distance won’t be any shorter than it was last year. He would also like to remind participants that water management is a fundamental concept of the MDS – failing to take the recommended amount of water to the CP can turn out to be a severe handicap, and in any case much more penalising than carrying a standby litre.