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Rabat – Moroccan athlete Rachid El-Morabity won the first stage of the 2021 Marathon des Sables (MDS) on Sunday, October 3, in Borj Idri, Errachidia province.
Over 1,200 runners from 41 nationalities gathered in Morocco’s south for the 35th annual event, organized by the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism. The marathon started on October 1, and will continue until October 11, under the initiative of the Atlantide Organization.
The first stage of the MDS is renowned for its difficult course, and El-Morabity, who has also won the race seven times, competed against 672 other runners.
During the 32.2-kilometer race that connects Borj Irdi and Tiserdimine oasis, the 39-year-old athlete finished in 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 57 seconds. He surpassed his brother and teammate Mohamed El-Morabity, and fellow Moroccans Aziz Yachou, and Abdelkader El-Mouaziz who ranked second, third, and fourth, respectively.
In stark contrast to the men’s competition, the Moroccan runner Aziza Raji finished the women’s race first in 3 hours, 47 minutes, and 59 seconds. Raji participated in the 2019 race and finished second to Ragna Debats of the Netherlands.
Over the past years, the marathon has long been marked by a series of victories recorded by Moroccan athletes. Moroccan long-distance runner, Lahcen Ahansal, made history in 1997 by becoming the nation’s first ever winner. Since then, he had won ten competitions, nine of them occurred in a consecutive winning streak that lasted from 1999-2007.
The marathon, which was postponed twice due to the pandemic, is the world’s longest desert race with a trail of 250-kilometer divided into 6 stages.
Since its launch in 1986 by Patrick Bauer, the marathon has gathered more than 22,000 competitors throughout the years, with 20% as a participation rate for women, 70% of international runners, and 45% veterans.
Details about the second stage of the marathon have yet to be released.
