Marathon des Sables Tips, Training, and News

iRunFar brings together its Marathon des Sables articles to create a Marathon des Sables Guide and resource center.

By on April 2, 2010 | Comments

Marathon des Sables logoWe thought it would be useful to collect all iRunFar’s articles on the Marathon des Sables stage race in one place. While the articles are written with MdS in mind, they provide information useful in preparing for any self-sufficient stage race and those held in desert locations in particular.

We begin with our Marathon des Sables Guide, which lists articles covering heat acclimation, gear selection, and nutritional choices. Next, we highlight our coverage of the 2009 Marathon des Sables followed by a set of articles on training for MdS, including a summary of pack training. Finally, there is a compilation of gear reviews for items iRunFar contributors have used at MdS.

If you are interested in the 2010 edition of the Marathon des Sables, read our extensive 2010 MdS coverage and results article. (We also previewed MdS 2010.) After the race, we conducted a video interview with champion Mohamad Ahansal.

Marathon des Sables Guide
2009 Marathon des Sables Articles
Bryon Powell of iRunFar competed in the 2009 Marathon des Sables. Here are the stories of his adventure.

  • Marathon des Sables 2009: A New Challenge – Bryon Powell announces his decision to run MdS in 2009 and explains why.
  • iRunFar Does the Marathon des Sables – Bryon reflects upon the race a week before toeing the line.
  • MdS Prelude: The Deluge – Bryon talks about his travel to Morocco, his brief visit to Casablanca, his time in Ouarzazate prior to the race, and the flood that resulted in a night in an Erfoud hotel rather than the bivouac.
  • MdS Admin Day Delay, First Stage Canceled – A quick news update in light of the once-in-15-years flooding and consideration of weather during the race.
  • MdS Delusion – A weather update from Erfoud.
  • MdS Admin Day Redo – An overview of race check-in and contemplation of course changes.
  • MdS 2009: Team Dreamchasers USA – A photo of Bryon’s team not long before departure for Stage 1.
  • MdS 2009: Stage 1 – A brief update from the bivouac after Stage 1. Bryon discusses his education in sand dunes running during the 33 kilometer stage.
  • MdS 2009: Stage 2 – In another update from bivouac, Bryon talks about the flat, 36-kilometer second stage and the solid performances by his American compatriots.
  • MdS 2009: Stage 3 (long stage) –  The longest stage in MdS history – 91k (56 miles) – is the subject of this message from the bivouac. Bryon also notes his adventure of running at night after he broke his glasses.
  • MdS 2009: Stage 4 and Overall Results – Bryon summarizes his 19th place finish, as well as the finishes by his team (3rd) as well as fellow Americans Meghan Hicks (second woman) and Michael Wardian (8th).
Marathon des Sables Training
Gear Reviews Related to the Marathon des Sables
Bryon Powell

Bryon Powell is the Founding Editor of iRunFar. He’s been writing about trail running, ultrarunning, and running gear for more than 15 years. Aside from iRunFar, he’s authored the books Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running, been a contributing editor at Trail Runner magazine, written for publications including Outside, Sierra, and Running Times, and coached ultrarunners of all abilities. Based in Silverton, Colorado, Bryon is an avid trail runner and ultrarunner who competes in events from the Hardrock 100 Mile just out his front door to races long and short around the world, that is, when he’s not fly fishing or tending to his garden.