The Marathon des Sables is a long-distance foot race in which participants cover 250 kilometres through the Moroccan Sahara over seven days and six stages. It is one of the toughest endurance races in the world and a pioneering event that has inspired other desert races.
Pere Mongay must carry his own equipment, including a rucksack, sleeping bag and cap with a neck flap, as well as food and all compulsory kit, in temperatures up to 50°C. It is a sporting event but, above all, a personal test of physical and psychological endurance, making it a symbol of achievement for athletes worldwide. Pere must battle heat, distance, desert sand and his own mind. As the organisers point out, “it is a real sporting challenge dotted with daring, companionship and adventure.”
The Marathon des Sables has been held continuously since 1985. E The race takes place on varied desert terrain: stones, dry lake beds and, above all, sand dunes. Your perfect or The organisation coordinates more than 400 people sharing daily tasks, 50 doctors constantly supervising and caring for runners, two helicopters and 120 vehicles on patrol. A team sets up and dismantles camp, while an incinerator truck helps restore the desert to its natural state after participants pass.
- photo: J. Bartomeus
