The 2024 version of the Marathon des Sables is a 252.8km (157-mile) six-day ultra marathon which took place in the Sahara Desert in southern Morocco.
It started on Sunday, April 14 and finished on Saturday, April 20.
Marathon des Sables live tracking
Marathan des Sables runs a race tracking website to follow competitions. They do so by tracking the geolocation through ‘spot’ tags – click here to follow live.
The tracking devices allow the race organiser to ensure no competitors get lost on the course.







Route
[Photo credit CIMBALY/MDS2022]
The exact route of the race is always unknown but the distance this year is exactly 252.8km and is split up into six stages over seven days as follows
Sunday April 14
Stage 1 – 31.1km
Monday April 15
Stage 2 – 40.8km
Tuesday April 16 / Wednesday April 17
Stage 3 – 85.3km
Thursday April 18
Stage 4 – 43.1km
Friday April 19
Stage 5 – 31.4km
Saturday April 20
Stage 6 – 21.1km
In addition to the distance, competitors must also combat the rough Saharan terrain, plenty of elevation, debilitating heat as well as carrying their supplies.
This year, there’s an increased amount of checkpoints, so the competitors can refill their water more frequently, allowing them to carry less weight on the stages. CPs will be spaced on average between 7km and 12km apart.
Analysis
Many eyes will once again be on Rachid El Morabity as he looks to equal fellow Moroccan Lahcen Ahansal’s all-time record of 10 victories.
Last year ended in controversy when he pulled out of the race in “protest” against a three-hour time penalty.
The legendary Moroccan runner, who was in contention, was sanctioned due to an “anomaly” discovered during a bag check after the third stage but he claimed he was “punished unfairly for a mistake I did not commit”.
Mohamed El Morabity, Rachid’s brother, would go on to clinch victory at the Marathon des Sables for the first time having finished runner-up behind his elder sibling on five occasions.
Both return this year and it will be fascinating to see how it all unfolds.
Marathon des Sables winners
Men’s Past winners
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- 10 – Lahcen Ahansal (Morocco) – 1997, 1999-2007
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- 9 – Rachid El Morabity (Morocco) – 2011, 2014-2019, 2021-22
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- 5 – Mohamad Ahansal (Morocco) – 1998, 2008-2010, 2013
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- 4 – Hassan Sebtaoui (France) – 1987, 1989-1991
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- 3 – André Derksen (Russia) – 1994-1996
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- 2 – Mohamed Bensalah (Morocco) – 1992-93
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- 2 – Bernard Gaudin (France) – 1986, 1988
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- 1 – Salameh Al Aqra (Jordan) – 2012
Record Time: Bernard Gaudin (France) – 1988 (14:39:44)
Women’s Past Winners
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- 3 – Laurence Fricotteaux-Klein (France) – 2007, 2011-12
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- 3 – Simone Kayser (Luxembourg) 2002, 2004-05
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- 2 – Elisabet Barnes (Sweden) – 2015, 2017
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- 2 – Touda Didi (Morocco) – 2008-09
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- 2 – Rossana Pellizzari (Italy) – 1997-98
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- 2 – Moniqúe Frussote (France) – 1991-92
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- 2 – Marie-Ange Malcuit (France) – 1987-88
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- 1 – Anna Comet (Spain) – 2022
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- 1 – Aziza Raji (Morocco) – 2021
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- 1 – Ragna Debats (Netherlands) – 2019
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- 1 – Magdalena Boulet (USA) – 2018
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- 1 – Natalia Sedykh (Russia) – 2016
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- 1 – Nikki Kimball (USA) – 2014
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- 1 – Meghan Hicks (USA) – 2013
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- 1 – Mònica Aguilera Viladomiu (Spain) – 2010
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- 1 – Géraldine Courdesse (France) – 2006
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- 1 – Magali Juvenal (France) – 2003
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- 1 – Franca Fiacconi (Italy) – 2001
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- 1 – Pascal Martin (France) – 2000
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- 1 – Lisa Smith (USA) – 1999
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- 1 – Anke Molkenthin (Germany) – 1996
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- 1 – Béatrice Reymann (France) – 1995
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- 1 – Valentina Liakhova (Russia) – 1994
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- 1 – Irina Petrova (Russia) – 1993
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- 1 – Claire Garnier (France) – 1990
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- 1 – Claude Battistelli (France) 1989
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- 1 – Christiane Plumere (France) – 1986
Record Time: Béatrice Reymann (France) – 1995 (21:25:22)
*No race in 2020.

Past winners
Tab 2 content.
