The 2025 Marathon des Sables Legendary kicked off on April 6, signaling the start of the roughly 250-kilometer (155-mile) stage race via the scorching sands and rocky outcrops of Morocco’s Sahara Desert. After per week of racing, victory went to Rachid El Morabity of Morocco and Maryline Nakache of France.
This 12 months, some 900 individuals from 52 international locations traveled to Morocco to sort out the six phases held over seven days. Runners carry all their meals and kit, whereas the race group supplies water, tents, and any medical or emergency help. Excessive warmth and unpredictable circumstances made for an exciting race, with runners going through temperatures in extra of 40 levels Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), sandstorms, and even some rain.
This 12 months, the occasion had an unprecedented variety of feminine individuals because of continued efforts to make the races extra accessible to girls. Feminine participation hit 56% throughout the 4 race distances supplied on the occasion – 70, 100, 120, and 250k, together with 27% within the 250k Legendary race.
The beginning of the 2025 Marathon des Sables on April 6 within the Moroccan Sahara Desert. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Martí Miró
The 2025 race featured six phases with the next distances:
- Stage 1: 32k (20 miles)
- Stage 2: 40k (25 miles)
- Stage 3: 32.5k (20 miles)
- Stage 4: 82.2k (51 miles)
- Stage 5: 42.2k (26 miles)
- Stage 6: 21.1k (13 miles)
Rachid El Morabity’s win introduced his whole victories to a record-breaking 11, surpassing the ten titles of Morocco’s Lahcen Ahansal between 1997 and 2007. Since 2011, Rachid has solely missed out on the title thrice, one in every of which was to his youthful brother, Mohamed El Morabity, in 2023. The El Morabity brothers dominated this 12 months’s race from begin to end, working collectively to say victory in all six phases between the 2 of them. This was Mohamed’s seventh second-place end behind his brother.
Early bronze medal contender and multi-time finisher Hamid Yachou, additionally of Morocco, dropped out through the lengthy Stage 4 attributable to damage, crushing his hopes of bettering on his seventh place in 2023 and fourth place in 2024. It was Morocco’s Ahmed Ouikhalfen who stepped in to take bronze general, following on from his sixth-place debut in 2024.
Maryline Nakache, returning for the primary time since her debut victory in 2023, led the ladies’s race from the very first day, methodically increase her lead over the week and working a masterclass. Final 12 months’s champion, Aziza El Amrany of the host nation, ran a constant race from begin to end, too, coming in second in Levels 1 via 5 earlier than crossing the road first on the ultimate day.
Dutch runner Ragna Debats, winner of the 2019 version and eighth in 2023, was one of many pre-race favorites. She began the week nicely, sitting comfortably in third place on the finish of Stage 3. Nevertheless, her withdrawal from the race throughout Stage 4 opened the door to a nail-biting battle for third place on the rostrum over the past two phases.
Annelies Brak of Belgium was working the race of her life, sitting in an in depth fourth place all through the primary three phases. Nevertheless, lacking gear throughout a equipment verify in Stage 3 and the ensuing penalty pushed her far down the rankings, forcing her to claw her approach again up the standings over the ultimate three phases. Nevertheless, it wasn’t sufficient to reclaim a spot on the rostrum, and Tomomi Bitoh of Japan took bronze after per week of constant working. This was Bitoh’s third podium end within the occasion, after ending third in 2023 and second in 2021.
Different high contenders had been British runner Gemma Recreation, who had three third-place finishes, together with final 12 months, and Francesca Canepa of Italy, a longtime high performer at ultras worldwide.
The ladies’s race additionally featured 2015 and 2017 champion Elisabet Barnes (Sweden) and 2011 and 2012 champion Laurence Klein (France), who mentioned earlier than the race they had been working to take part quite than compete.
Learn on to be taught extra about how the race performed out.
France’s Maryline Nakache making Stage 1 look straightforward on the 2025 Marathon des Sables, on her option to her second win of the occasion. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Ian Corless
2025 Marathon des Sables Legendary Males’s Race
The Stage 1 opener consisted of a 32-kilometer (20-mile) loop. Runners had been keen to determine themselves within the rankings, resulting in a quick, extremely contested race.
Rachid El Morabity set the tempo within the opening miles, adopted intently by Hamid Yachou, each of the host nation. Nevertheless, Morocco’s Mohamed El Morabity crossed the road first in 2:20, overtaking older brother Rachid and Yachou at checkpoint 3, 25k (15.5 miles) into the race. Rachid completed scorching on his heels in 2:21, with Yachou crossing the road in 2:23. The highest 5 was accomplished by fellow Moroccans Ahmed Ouikhalfen and Mbark El Morabity, the latter of whom is one other brother to Rachid and Mohamed working the occasion for a second time after twelfth place in 2024.
After a comparatively easy first day, Stage 2 was longer, at 40k (25 miles), and extra technical, that includes various terrain and virtually twice the elevation acquire. After a cautious begin, Rachid flew over the closing miles, crossing the road in 3:32. Mohamed adopted in 3:35, one minute forward of Ouikhalfen and Yachou. With this Stage 2 end, Rachid moved previous his brother and into first place within the general standings, whereas the remainder of the highest 5 remained unchanged.
Brothers Mohamed El Morabity (left) and Rachid El Morabity of Morocco work collectively throughout Stage 1 of the 2025 Marathon des Sables. Rachid would finally win the race, and Mohamed would take second. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Martí Miró
Stage 3 was one other loop over 32.5k (20 miles) and one other stage victory for Mohamed in 2:38. This put him again into the general lead. Yachou crossed the road one minute later at 2:39, six minutes forward of Rachid. Ouikhalfen and Mbark adopted in 2:56 and three:07.
As is usually the case with the race’s longest stage, Stage 4 was a turning level for the lads’s normal classification. The scorching afternoon warmth and the buildup of fatigue made approach for drama over the 82.2k (51 miles). The stage was contested over two days, which means the leaders may look ahead to a day of relaxation after ending.
Rachid was contemporary after taking issues straightforward the day prior to this. He headed out quick and steadily elevated his lead all through the day to complete in 7:08. Mohamed adopted 10 minutes later, virtually an hour forward of Ouikhalfen in third.
Ahmed Ouikhalfen of Morocco on his option to a podium place through the 2025 Marathon des Sables. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Florent Fournier
Yachou withdrew from the race at Stage 4’s penultimate checkpoint attributable to an damage, and Mbark, struggling within the latter half of the stage, completed in sixth. This made approach for some new faces for the stage’s high 5: Ignace Debreyne of Belgium and Jean-Baptiste Hurteaux of France, the latter of whose efficiency moved him as much as fifth place within the normal classification behind Mbark.
Rachid now held the general lead, with lower than 4 minutes separating him from his brother within the standings. With Yachou out of competition and Mbark dropping again over Stage 4, Ouikhalfen appeared secure within the bronze medal place, sitting 80 minutes behind Mohamed general.
Stage 5, the marathon stage, noticed little change to the general standings established the day prior to this. Rachid and Mohamed ran collectively for the entire 42.2k (26 miles), with Rachid crossing the road in 3:26, simply 40 seconds forward of his brother. Ouikhalfen completed 4 minutes later, trailed by Mbark and Hurteaux.
Going into the ultimate day, a brief stage over 21.1k (13 miles), the standings appeared mounted. Rachid led his brother by 4.5 minutes, and Ouikhalfen sat comfortably in third place, over 90 minutes forward of Mbark in fourth.
Rachid El Morabity crossed the road first, securing his record-breaking eleventh males’s victory in an general time of 20:55:47.
Mohamed El Morabity arrived 30 seconds later, ending with an general time of 21:00:50, his seventh silver medal within the males’s occasion.
Ahmed Ouikhalfen completed the stage in sixth place, a efficiency nicely adequate to seal third place within the males’s normal classification, with an general time of twenty-two:27:58.
Morocco’s Mbark El Morabity throughout Stage 4 of the 2025 Marathon des Sables. In his second working of the occasion, the third El Morabity brother took fourth general for the lads. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Martí Miró
2025 Marathon des Sables Legendary Males’s Outcomes
- Rachid El Morabity (Morocco) – 20:55:47
- Mohamed El Morabity (Morocco) – 21:00:50
- Ahmed Ouikhalfen (Morocco) – 22:27:58
- Mbark El Morabity (Morocco) – 24:01:19
- Jean-Baptiste Hurteaux (France) – 24:49:41
- Ignace Debreyne (Belgium) – 25:08:28
- Xander De Buysscher (Belgium) – 26:07:44
- Wouter Lafaut (Belgium) – 26:22:24
- Axel Poudes (France) – 26:44:15
- Miquel Angel Capó Crespí (Spain) – 26:57:01
Morocco’s Rachid El Morabity, 2025 Marathon des Sables males’s champion, on his option to a report 11 wins on the occasion since 2011. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Ian Corless
2025 Marathon des Sables Legendary Girls’s Race
The primary stage, a loop of 32 kilometers (20 miles), noticed Morocco’s Aziza El Amrany storm out of the beginning blocks. She led for a lot of the day, earlier than being overtaken by France’s Maryline Nakache on the third checkpoint at 24.5k (15 miles). Nakache elevated her lead over the remaining 8k (5 miles), ending in 2:58, virtually 10 minutes forward of El Amrany. Ragna Debats of the Netherlands took third place in 3:17, with Belgium’s Annelies Brak and the U.Ok.’s Gemma Recreation following in fourth and fifth.
Aziza El Amrany of Morocco wanting calm within the early morning gentle on the 2025 Marathon des Sables. The 2024 girls’s champion took second this 12 months. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Florent Fournier
The identical sample emerged within the 40k (25 miles) Stage 2, with El Amrany main within the opening miles earlier than Nakache powered previous simply after midway to complete half-hour forward of her rival. Debats crossed the road scorching on the heels of El Amrany, adopted by Brak and Recreation.
Nakache continued to dominate over the 32.5k (20 miles) Stage 3. She started the day in entrance with El Amrany earlier than pulling forward after checkpoint 3 at 27k (17 miles), and crossing the road in 3:15, two minutes forward of El Amrany. Debats rounded off the rostrum in 3:44.
Catastrophe struck for Brak on the equipment verify at checkpoint 3 throughout Stage 3. She was handed a 120-minute penalty for lacking compulsory tools, which pushed her all the way down to thirteenth within the girls’s general standings.
Japan’s Tomomi Bitoh, who was in seventh place general the day prior to this, crossed the road in fourth, eight minutes behind Debats and two minutes forward of Alicia Monnaie of France. This efficiency put Bitoh into fifth place general behind Recreation, who had completed the day in seventh place.
At 82.2k (51 miles), Stage 4 was the longest day of racing and, like within the males’s race, a turning level within the girls’s general standings. Nakache was completely unstoppable, pushing the tempo all through, and crossing the road in 7:55, virtually a complete hour forward of El Amrany, in third place general for each women and men, and solely 47 minutes behind the lead man. Brak completed third in 9:43, chipping away on the time misplaced the day prior to this, and climbing again up the general standings to fifth.
Tomomi Bitoh on the 2025 Marathon des Sables. The Japanese runner took third for the ladies general. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Ian Corless
Debats was visibly struggling by Stage 4’s checkpoint 2, and finally deserted the race at checkpoint 4. Recreation additionally got here to blows, ending in fifteenth place. Robust runs from Bitoh and Francesca Canepa of Italy noticed them transfer into third and fourth place general.
With simply two phases to go, Nakache and El Amrany appeared secure in first and second. Nevertheless, with lower than an hour separating Bitoh, Canepa, and Brak, third place was nonetheless largely up for grabs.
After a day of relaxation for the leaders, runners began the marathon-distance Stage 5 with considerably refreshed legs. Nakache ran conservatively, staying simply behind El Amrany till the ultimate checkpoint, earlier than letting rip over the past 8k (5 miles) to complete 4 minutes forward in 3:45.
Morocco’s Aziza El Amrany climbs a steep sand dune throughout Stage 4 of the 2025 Marathon des Sables, on her option to taking second within the general occasion for girls. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Ian Corless
Brak continued to make up for misplaced time, ending third in 4:14, gaining treasured minutes on Bitoh, who completed in sixth in 4:29. On the finish of the day, nonetheless, Bitoh nonetheless held a 40-minute general lead over Brak for the bronze place, making it probably she’d end in third general for the ladies after the ultimate Stage 6. Canepa completed the stage in twelfth place, probably placing her out of medal competition.
Stage 6 held no surprises within the girls’s normal classification, although El Amrany combined it up within the stage outcomes and took her first stage win, finishing the 21.1k (13 miles) in 1:55. Nakache crossed the road 1.5 minutes behind El Amrany.
In doing so, Maryline Nakache sealed her second victory on the occasion with an general time of 23:57:20, over 90 minutes forward of second place.
Aziza El Amrany took second in 25:36:23.
Tomomi Bitoh completed the stage in seventh place, securing her third place general for the ladies in 29:38:25.
Maryline Nakache of France ending Stage 4 of the 2025 Marathon des Sables, on her option to a second win of the occasion. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Florent Fournier
2025 Marathon des Sables Legendary Girls’s Outcomes
- Maryline Nakache (France) – 23:57:20
- Aziza El Amrany (Morocco) – 25:36:23
- Tomomi Bitoh (Japan) – 29:38:25
- Annelies Brak (Belgium) – 30:05:32
- Alicia Monnaie (France) – 30:16:55
- Francesca Canepa (Italy) – 31:04:53
- Marion Stephan (France) – 31:27:51
- Tanja Spiekermann (Germany) – 31:34:50
- Sonia Poutrel (France) – 31:37:38
- Gemma Recreation (U.Ok.) – 31:50:42
Surroundings and structure within the Moroccan Sahara Desert as seen through the 2025 Marathon des Sables. Picture: Marathon des Sables/Martí Miró
