Marathon des Sables: Registration & Preparation
Marathon des Sables (MDS) is the legendary ~250 km, 6-stage self-sufficient ultra-trail in the Moroccan Sahara. Registration opens well in advance on the official MDS website and places are limited — they typically fill months ahead of race week.
Entry requires a medical certificate, an ECG and a strict mandatory-equipment check (calories, water capacity, survival gear, anti-venom pump). The organisation provides rationed water, a communal bivouac tent and medical support; you carry everything else for the week.
Preparation should focus on heat acclimatisation, multi-day back-to-back long runs, and testing your full pack and food plan in conditions that resemble the Sahara. Foot care is a defining skill — many withdrawals are foot-related. Many competitors train in hot conditions and rehearse their daily food and salt routine.
MDS is the most famous trail race held in Morocco. For trekkers who want the Sahara without the race, supported Sahara trekking expeditions offer the same desert landscape at a walking pace.
Source: Marathon des Sables official organisation (marathondessables.com)
Morocco Sahara Trekking — Sahara trekking in Morocco without the race.