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Rabat- Moroccan athlete Mohamed El Morabity of the TGCC team, won the first stage of the 33rd edition of the Marathon des Sables (MDS-2018) on Sunday, in Morocco’s Timgaline, located  in the Province of Tinghir.
The 25-year-old athlete finished the 30.3-kilometer race in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 30 seconds, outpacing his older brother and team-mate Rachid, who is a five-time winner of Marathon des Sables.
Nearly 1,300 international runners convened in Morocco’s south to take part in the grueling desert race, which kicked off on April 6 until April 16, under the initiative of Atlantide Organization.
Since its launch in 1986, almost 20,000 people have taken part in the race, which features several competitions open to walkers and runners over a distance of about 250 kilometers.
The event took place under the auspices of the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism, according to a statement released by the organizers.
In order to participate in the race, candidates were required to be over 18, and present a medical certificate issued by the organization stating their ability to participate.
Over the past years, the marathon has long been marked by a series of victories recorded by Moroccan athletes. Most notable was Lahcen Ahansal who miraculously won the title ten times. Nine of those wins occurred in a consecutive winning streak that last from 1999-2007.
