April 10

MARATHON DES SABLES MOROCCO 2018: EL MORABITY AND BOULET LEADERS AFTER STAGE 2 (Ran 69k/250K) REPORT, RESULTS AND PHOTOS

Posted by mayayo oxigeno on April 10, 2018 in altra running, marathon des sables 2017, marathon des sables peru, marathon des sables peru 2017, trail running, trail running peru, trail running spain, Ultra Trail, ultra trail 2017, waa ultra | Leave a comment

The second stage of the MARATHON DES SABLES was held yesterday Apr 10th over 39km. The course immersed the 976 competitors who took this morning’s start in the “desert hell”: tons of sand, a huge jebel to climb and descent, and oppressive heat due to a very high humidity level and a great contrast with the morning cold. This accumulation of difficulties will certainly cause many drop-outs throughout the day – already 5 at 1 PM, five hours after the start, including one of the favourite, Andrea HUSER (D1017-SUI).

Our live coverage is being carried out from inside the race by our runner-reporter Alex Fraguela. A veteran ultrarunner based at the Canaries who tested himself at the Half Marathon des Sables Furteventura and finished among top5. Alex finished the second stage in sixth place and keeps on sharing the race with us on a daily basis here in english and also at our sister website CARRERASDEMONTANA.COM in spanish.

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MARATHON DES SABLES: STAGE TWO.

RODABOOK MARATHON DES SABLES 2018: STAGE 2

Distance: 39 km
Stage start: 8:00 AM
Maximum time: 11 hours and 30 minutes
Description: More sand than during Stage 1, stifling heat, and the descent of the mythical jebel EL OTFAL.
976 competitors on the start line
Temperature at noon (screened): 25 °C
Humidity level at noon: 17.5%

The highlight of this 39-km-long ‘Stage 2’: jebel EL OTFAL, the mythical sandy face of which competitors will descend. The most experienced runners threw themselves into the impressive slope, with sand fanning out from under their feet, while the more careful competitors took dozens of minutes to go down the 250 metres of altitude change one step at the time, under a burning sun.

On the MARATHON DES SABLES, competitors used to camping feel at home, while those generally staying in 5-star hotels can feel somewhat disoriented… Coping with life on the bivouac is key to a successful MDS, regarding both sports aspects (recovery, food, etc.) and personal enjoyment (friendship, atmosphere…). In this very peculiar environment, in a Berber tent open to all winds, some people blossom: “Tent camaraderie is awesome…we really are a family,” Richard ELLIOT (D0416-GBR) explains. “Last night, I slept better than the first 2 nights, when the excitement of being here troubled me.” At the bivouac, bonfires – a symbol of human gatherings – generally crackle in front of each tent, but yesterday evening, at the heart of the triple tent ring, a huge collective fire warmed the souls of the 977 competitors who had completed the first stage – a formidable moment of communion under thousands of stars.

As regards food, practices differ greatly, from those eating cold or hot dishes to those preferring freeze-dried meals or mueslis… In the global picture, Sandra AMSTUTZ (D0968-SUI) is quite original: “I prepare my breakfast in the evening by soaking seeds in water for the entire night. And I have a small stock of prunes.” During the stage, it is indispensable to eat something: cereal bars, dried fruits… Fast-release carbs (for immediate energy) and slow burning carbs (for longer-term energy) work hand in hand to enable participants to finish the stage without loss of form.

For this second stage, Rachid EL MORABITY (D0001-MAR) unleashed his power: after running in a group for the first third of the course, the 5-time MDS winner took off and built the gap in the uphill section – his favourite terrain. No one was able to keep up with him, and he reached the finish line more than 10 minutes ahead of his brother Mohamed. This is typical of Rachid’s strategy: showing who the boss is and securing for himself a small lead that he’ll then manage during the remaining stages.

In the Women’s category, Natalia SEDYKH (D0220-RUS) had won the first stage, but she then received a one-hour penalty for lack of compulsory equipment. Despite this hard blow, she remains convinced that she can win the race…but to do so, she’ll need to give it all she’s got.

A few reactions from the Elite runners:

Natalia SEDYKH (D0220-RUS): “The stage was beautiful, with sand, stones, rocks, and a mountain: the true MDS – thank you to the organisers! I climbed the mountain like a monkey, on my four limbs – a rather interesting experience… What about competition? My toughest competitor is myself. I’ll have to surpass myself until the very end.”

Merile ROBERT (D0954-FRA): “I led the stage for the first 7 kilometres – such a pleasure to mark the track! Towards the end of the course, Aziz caught me up but instead of passing me, he was kind enough to stay with me until the finish line and take my hand so that we would arrive together: what a great memory this will be for me!”

Magdalena BOULET (D1019-USA)“The stage was beautiful, but the mountain’s ascent was tough. And then, the descent was incredible: it was a first for me to go down such a huge sand dune, and I had loads of fun.”

STAGE 2 RANKINGS

Women’s Top 3*

RANK	BIB	RUNNER	TEAM	NAT.	TIME
1	220	Natalia SEDYKH		RUS	03:56:08
2	1019	Magdalena BOULET		USA	04:04:48
3	8	Bouchra ERIKSEN		DEN	04:16:08

Men’s Top 3*

RANK	BIB	RUNNER	TEAM	NAT.	TIME
1	1	Rachid EL MORABITY	TGCC	MAR	03:04:01
2	205	Mohamed EL MORABITY	TGCC	MAR	03:14:36
3	204	Abdelkader EL MOUAZIZ	TGCC	MAR	03:15:16

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE 2

Women’s Top 3*

RANK	BIB	RUNNER	TEAM	NAT.	TOTAL TIME
1	1019	Magdalena BOULET		USA	06:47:57
2	8	Bouchra ERIKSEN		DEN	07:03:13
3	433	Gemma GAME		GBR	07:14:49

Men’s Top 3*

RANK	BIB	RUNNER	TEAM	NAT.	TOTAL TIME
1	1	Rachid EL MORABITY	TGCC	MAR	05:15:43
2	205	Mohamed EL MORABITY	TGCC	MAR	05:26:06
3	204	Abdelkader EL MOUAZIZ	TGCC	MAR	05:28:16

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MARATHON DES SABLES 2018: PHOTOGALLRY BY ALEX FRAGUELA.

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MARATHON DES SABLES 2018 MOROCCO: THE PROGRAM.

This event will once again be held at the Moroccan Sahara, Ouarzazate region, as a desert ultra-trail in food self-sufficiency condition, covering 6 stages, approximately 250 km. The race has attracted more than 20,000 participants since 1986, with over 1,000 competitors expected in 2018

• 6 April: Competitors arrive in Morocco
• 7 April: Inspections day
• 8, 9 and 10 April: First, second and third stages
• 11 and 12 April: Long stage (4th stage)
• 13 April: Marathon stage, last competitive stage
• 14 April: ‘SOLIDARITÉ MARATHON DES SABLES’ stage
• 15 April: Free day
• 16 April: Competitors return to their home countries

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MARATHON DES SABLES INTERNATIONAL: MOROCCO, PERU AND FUERTEVENTURA.

Ever since 2018 Marathon des Sables has now expanded internationally with sister events held at Peru (250km) and Fuerteventura (125k). See below the official video of the Peruvian race at th Ica desert, a unique landscape of sand dunes moving right into the ocean.