It was a 12 months of upsets on the thirty seventh operating of the world’s hardest self-sufficient desert extremely, Marathon Des Sables (MDS) in Morocco. Mohamed El Morabity of Morocco received the 250 km stage race after his brother, nine-time MDS champion Rachid, withdrew after the fourth stage, which offered a possibility for Montreal’sto land on the rostrum.
Blanchard was in fourth place after the primary of 5 levels, however discovered himself between fourth and fifth place coming into the fourth stage. The drama started to unfold on stage 4 when temperatures hit 40 C. Rachid was main the race when he was given a three-hour penalty for exterior help.
The three-hour penalty moved Rachid again to fourth, heading into the fifth and closing marathon stage. He ended up withdrawing from the race, and Morocco’s moved as much as second place within the total classification. Blanchard, who ran his personal race behind the leaders, moved up right into a podium place.
Mohamed closed issues out on the ultimate stage to win his first MDS title in 19:19:54, ending his brother’s reign of . Yachou completed second, 10 minutes behind Mohamed in 19:29:09, and Blanchard, 35, who was fifth on the MDS in 2021, upgraded to a third-place end in 2023, (21:21:27).
“I’m so unhappy for my brother,” Mohamedafter his win. “He ought to have received, however that’s how it’s–subsequent 12 months.”
Blanchard’s end continues his run of wonderful performances after back-to-back podium finishes at UTMB. The 35-year-old ultra-trail specialist plans to make his Western States debut in June.
Within the girls’s race, 2019 MDS champion of the Netherlands broke down on the lengthy 90 km fourth stage. Debats was main, however fell again a couple of hours after struggling digestive points 20 kilometres in. She continued the race, however France’s Maryline Nakache took benefit of the chance and surged forward on stage 4. This was Nakache’s first MDS title.
Morocco’s Aziza El Amrany was the highest Moroccan athlete, ending second in 27:53:37. Japan’s was third (29:29:51).