Against The Grains

When the sand, suffering and self-sufficiency of the marathon des sables was exported from Morocco to the harsh but beautiful Ica desert on Peru’s Pacific Coast, the running adventure of a lifetime was born.

- Ian Corless

It all started back in 1984, when Frenchman Patrick Bauer

COMPLETED A SOLO JOURNEY through the Sahara on foot, carrying everything he needed. Two years later the first edition of the race his adventure inspired him to create – the Marathon des Sables – featured a handful of runners, but in the 32 years since then it has become a flagship global event, with its 1 000-plus places vastly over-subscribed.

The MdS Morocco helped to pave the way for multi-day races around the world; and in November last year, the organisation spread its own wings at the inaugural Marathon des Sables Peru. This was the MdS, but on a new continent and in a new wild and spectacular landscape, the Ica desert, sandwiched between the rollers of the Pacific Ocean and the towering peaks of the Andes.

Staying true to the values that have made the Moroccan journey so loved, MdS Peru aimed to help people fulfil dreams, develop their potential and open a doorway to a new world over six days and almost 250km of running. The race followed the protocols of MdS Morocco, covering the same total distance, split into six one-day stages and demanding full self-sufficiency from runners, with only shelter and rationed water provided.