RUN & TREK | MARATHON DES SABLES

The MDS has been designed to be accessible to all types of people. Everything is set up so that everyone can participate and become a finisher. On this page, you'll find details of distances, paces, time barriers and other particularities relating to the event.

The MDS route is divided into 3 stages, to be completed at your own pace: walking or running. Depending on the destination, there are 2 or 3 different formats:
-   70 km
-   100 km
-   120 km
Here is a breakdown of each stage:
-   Stage 1: 25km
-   Stage 2: 20, 40 or 60km (up to you)
-   Stage 3: 25km
The choice of the format is made at the registration. However, you can adjust it until the time of MDS.

Whether in 70, 100 or 120-kilometer formats, the MDS is accessible to all levels. The only rule is a minimum pace of 3.5km/h, which represents a very slow walking pace, allowing you to complete the course completely at your own pace.

In recent years, the average pace of the MDS participants has been 5.5km/h, a moderate walking pace.
In fact, aside from the top 100, the vast majority of MDS participants complete the course by walking. There are a total of 95% of finishers at the MDS in average.