Looking for a 2027 adventure? These two Marathon des Sables ultras promise a bucket-list experience that channel the same spirit as the legendary 250K Sahara stage race.
The Marathon des Sables organization is closing out its 40th-anniversary season with two distinct desert races landing on its January 2027 calendar that will offer an adventure of a lifetime in the spirit of the legendary 250K stage race across the Sahar Desert. If you’re interested in an unforgettable endurance adventure in Morocco, the MDS Ultra 100 (Jan. 8-13, 2027) and MDS 120 Atlantic Coast (Jan. 23-30, 2027) should be high on your list.
The Marathon des Sables is widely regarded as one of the toughest footraces on the planet—a roughly 250K, multi-stage journey across the Moroccan Sahara where runners carry everything they need to survive on their backs, from food to sleeping gear. American marathon legend Des Linden completed that legendary race in April 2026, placing third among women. What if you could experience some of the same aspects of that race in a more compact form with a mix of luxury travel? Sounds pretty enticing, doesn’t it?
The MDS Ultra 100, staged deep in the Sahara Desert, and the MDS 120 Atlantic Coast, based near Agadir on Morocco’s stunning coastline, both give runners a self-sufficient, MDS-branded challenge without committing to the full 250K flagship event—and both are open for registration through UltraSignup.
MDS Ultra 100
January 8-13
Erfoud, Morocco
Held entirely in the Moroccan Sahara, the MDS Ultra 100 strips the format down to something more raw: a single, unbroken push rather than a multi-day stage race that still traces sections of the historic MDS Legendary route. Runners choose between two distances —roughly 100K or 100 miles—to be completed self-sufficiently (carry their own food and mandatory gear) within a 40-hour window, with water stations roughly every 10K and aid stations with rest areas every 30K.
There’s no bivouac camping in the MDS Ultra 100. Instead, the six-day adventure ($2,199 per person) is bookended by stays at the Kasbah Hotel Xaluca in Erfoud, at the edge of the desert. This January’s edition—which will be capped by an awards ceremony and gala evening on January 13—marks the event’s second running after a well-received debut.
More information and registration details: UltraSignup
MDS 120 Atlantic Coast
January 23-30
Agadir, Morocco
Set along the Atlantic coastline near Agadir and sending participants towards the remote Plage Blanche, the MDS 120 trades the Sahara’s red dunes for wild beaches, rocky cliffs, and shifting coastal sand. Runners choose their own distance—70K, 100K, or 120K—spread across three stages, walking or running at their own pace, with the option to decide their final distance mid-race based on how their body is holding up.
The eight-day package ($2,625) includes three nights camped at the MDS bivouac and four nights at a seaside hotel near Agadir, two before the race and two after, capped off with a gala dinner and awards ceremony. Wind, variable footing, and swinging temperatures give the Atlantic Coast edition its own identity, distinct from the heat-driven demands of MDS’s desert races.
The event combines stage racing between white dunes and the wild Atlantic coastline and a unique MDS bivouac experience in individual tents with luxury recovery at the Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa.
More information and registration details: UltraSignup
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