MARRunningDesert / Trail250K · 250 km / 155.3 miUltra · 50 km+ / 31+ mi

MDS Legendary Morocco

Sahara Desert, Drâa-Tafilalet, Moroccan Sahara · MAR

No future date listed

About MDS Legendary Morocco

MDS Legendary Morocco is a running event in Sahara Desert, Drâa-Tafilalet, Moroccan Sahara, Morocco. Recorded disciplines include 250K, Ultra. The listed surface is desert / trail. The listed organiser is MARATHON DES SABLES. No future date is currently listed on ATHRECS. The ATHRECS archive includes editions from 2026. This describes the editions recorded here, not the event's founding date or complete history.

Dates, starts & entry

Times are local to the race. Select the entry route for your distance.

The next date has not been announced here. Check the race website for updates.

Location & race day

Listed venue / area

Moroccan Sahara, Sahara Desert, Drâa-TafilaletMAR

Find this location on a map

Confirm the exact start line, parking and arrival instructions with the organiser. A listed town or postcode may cover a wider area.

About the race

MDS Legendary is the original Marathon des Sables stage race. Participants run or walk approximately 250 km across six desert stages while carrying their own food and mandatory equipment.

Surface:: Desert / Trail
Organiser:: MARATHON DES SABLES

Race website

MDS Legendary race format

The original Marathon des Sables is a multi-stage foot race through the Moroccan Sahara. Competitors may run or walk approximately 250 km while living at the desert bivouac and carrying their own food, sleeping gear and mandatory equipment.

Total distance: Approximately 250 km / 155.3 mi
Race structure: 6 stages over 7 days
Full programme: 11 days, including 9 in the desert
Format: Food self-sufficiency

Example six-stage breakdown

Stage	Distance	Format
Stage 1	About 32 km	Opening desert stage
Stage 2	About 40 km	Full desert stage
Stage 3	About 32.5 km	Full desert stage
Stage 4	About 80–90 km	Long stage, continuing partly through the night
Stage 5	About 42 km	Marathon stage
Stage 6	About 21.1 km	Final stage

These are the organiser’s example distances from the 2025 edition. The route, elevation, stage order and distances can change each year; the exact course is confirmed in the official roadbook at the bivouac before the race.

What the format means

Participants compete at their own pace and may run or walk, subject to the official checkpoints and cut-offs.
Food self-sufficiency means carrying personal food, sleeping gear and the mandatory kit throughout the race.
Competitors sleep at the bivouac in traditional eight-person Berber tents; sanitary facilities and a medical clinic are available at camp.
The long stage is the defining challenge and runs partly at night. Its distance, checkpoints and time limit are confirmed in the roadbook.

Official MDS Legendary 2027 race information