Marathon des Sables celebrates 30th year

What has been deemed the toughest race on Earth, the Marathon des Sables, celebrated its 30th start Sunday before competitors set off to begin the first stage of the 250K, seven-day race.

The race is a self-sufficiency challenge. Competitors carry everything they will need for the weeklong challenge except for water, which is supplied by organizers between stages. The event sees six days of running with a single rest day during the event.

The race across the Moroccan Sahara was first run in 1986 with only a handful of runners. This year there are over 1,300 competitors who started.

The race has seen some particularly strong winners during its history. Moroccan ultramarathoner Lahcen Ahansal is the winningest participant in the race’s history. He won the event an incredible nine years in a row between 1999 and 2007. His brother Mohamad  also won the race on five occasions.

Sunday’s first stage covered 36.2 km and Monday’s stage two was 31.1 km. Last year’s men’s winner, Moroccan Rachid El Morabity, leads after two stage by just over three minutes. Elisabet Barnes of Sweden leads the women’s race by over seven minutes.