2026 Marathon des Sables Legendary Results: Mohamed El Morabity and Maryline Nakache Dominate
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The 2026 Marathon des Sables Legendary launched at the break of day on Sunday, April 5. Over the following week, more than 1,500 runners from 68 different countries put their endurance to the test in the majestic and unforgiving Moroccan Sahara Desert. Mohamed El Morabity of the home country and Maryline Nakache of France flew across the desert, emerging from the six-stage event as unrivaled champions.
The six stages of varying distances take place over the course of seven days, this year covering a total distance of around 270 kilometers (168 miles). Runners carry their own food and gear, while the race organization provides water, a shade tent at each bivouac, and medical and emergency assistance, if needed.
The terrain is variable, featuring runnable, hard-packed desert, leg-destroying soft sand, rocky plateaus and ridges, and steep dunes. The defining moment of the race was the long 100-kilometer stage, which spans 40 hours on the fourth and fifth days of racing. This year, the long-stage distance was extended from the traditional 82k to 100k, making it the longest stage in the race’s history to help celebrate the event’s 40th edition.
The Moroccan El Morabity brothers have dominated the event in the modern era. Older brother Rachid El Morabity has a colossal 11 titles, with younger brother Mohamed previously taking one win and seven silvers. This year was more of the same, with the brothers leading the standings from the very first miles and controlling every stage. However, Mohamed showed dominance this year over both his brother Rachid and the rest of the field, winning five of the six stages.
Nakache won the race in 2023 and 2025, and raced totally unchallenged this year, dancing across the dunes to win all six stages and take victory by almost 3.5 hours.
After the El Morabity brothers, the top men’s contenders this year were race veterans Ahmed Ouikhalfen (Morocco), who finished third in 2025 and sixth in 2024, and Michaël Gras of France, who finished eighth in 2014. Trail running legend Ludovic Pommeret of France was on the start line too, in his first race since his successful 2025 season, in which he won the Hardrock 100, and finished sixth and fourth at UTMB and the Diagonale de Fous, respectively.
The women’s lineup featured four total past winners: Nakache, of course; Aziza El Amrany of Morocco, winner in 2024 with four total prior podium finishes; Aziza Raji of Morocco, winner of the 2021 edition with six prior finishes; and Magda Boulet (U.S.), who won in 2018. Two-time Olympic marathoner Des Linden (U.S.) took to the start line for the first time, just two months after her successful trail debut at the 2026 Black Canyon 50k.
The race featured six stages over seven days:
- Stage 1: 35k (22 miles)
- Stage 2: 40.5k (25 miles)
- Stage 3: 29.1k (18 miles)
- Stage 4: 100k (62 miles)
- Stage 5: 42.2k (26.2 miles)
- Stage 6: 23.2k (14 miles)
Read on to see how the race played out.
2026 Marathon des Sables Men’s Race
The first stage was a 35-kilometer warm-up, easing runners into their journey. As race fans have come to expect, the stage was dominated by the El Morabity brothers from Morocco. Rachid El Morabity charged out of the starting blocks, taking an early lead and setting the pace for the day. He was joined by his younger sibling, Mohamed El Morabity, and Michaël Gras (France). By the third checkpoint, 23k into the race, the brothers were running together at the front of the field alone. Mohamed inched ahead over the closing miles, crossing the line in 2:26:29, 21 seconds ahead of Rachid. Gras and Ahmed Ouikhalfen (Morocco) were locked in a fight for third place over the course of the day, with Gras edging ahead of Ouikhalfen to finish in 2:31:03. Ludovic Pommeret (France) rounded off the top five in 2:34:29.
The point-to-point second stage, 40.5k long and with 486 meters of climbing, was still fast but signaled the beginning of tougher terrain on the course. The runners set off at 6 a.m., striking out across undulating dunes, gravel sections, and rocky plateaus. Gras went out fast, hoping to gain precious time on the leaders from the previous day. He led through the first two checkpoints, but succumbed to the speed of the El Morabity brothers around halfway through the stage. Mohamed crossed the line in 2:58:26, and Rachid finished in 3:03:01, just 45 seconds ahead of Gras, who finished in 3:03:46. The race closed for the day with no change to the overall standings, the top five runners separated by 22 minutes.
Stage three was a short, punchy loop of 29k, packing in 413 meters of elevation gain over a similar terrain to the previous day. Cloud cover and the subsequent cooler temperatures made for a speedy day of racing. Gras and Pommeret made a break for victory through the opening miles, but were overpowered once more by the El Morabity brothers in the closing 12k. Rachid went on to take his only stage win of this edition in 2:17:29, with Mohamed crossing the line one minute later in 2:18:28. Gras and Ouikhalfen took third and fourth place.
This meant that the overall standing remained unchanged for the third day running. Mohamed held on to the lead with a cumulative time of 7:43:23, just under four minutes ahead of Rachid. Gras, Ouikhalfen, and Pommeret held third to fifth places within 13 minutes of each other. The top five were separated by only about 25 minutes and were all ultimately still in contention for the win, promising an exciting spectacle for the following day’s long stage.
Stage 4 often marks a turning point in the race, and this year didn’t disappoint in terms of race drama. The 100k stage had 721 meters of elevation gain across mountainous dunes, soft sand, and rocks. Perhaps the most memorable moment of the day was the sprint finish between Mohamed and Pommeret, with the duo having run the entire stage almost step-for-step. Mohamed arrived just 12 seconds ahead of Pommeret in 8:24:32. Rachid finished in third place in 8:39:00, 29 minutes ahead of Ouikhalfen. Gras, previously in spitting distance of the leaders, succumbed to the heat and finished the stage in 21st place. Though Gras would rally and run well later in the race, it wasn’t enough to get back inside the top 10 overall.
After a day of rest for the top runners, while the rest of the field completed the long stage, everyone embarked on the marathon-distance fifth stage. Pierre Meslet of France made a break for victory in the opening miles, bravely leading compatriots Pommeret and Gras. The El Morabity brothers fought back in the second half of the stage, though, and Mohamed claimed victory in 3:08:07. Rachid finished second in 3:12:24, one minute ahead of Pommeret, who finished in 3:13:23. The finishing order on the fifth stage was also the cumulative ranking order.
On the eve of the final stage, the podium positions were looking somewhat more decisive. Mohamed’s lead over Rachid had stretched to almost 23 minutes, while Rachid stood eight minutes clear of Pommeret in third.
The sixth and final stage was just over a half-marathon’s distance, and despite the fatigue of the week, runners always run this stage hot; this year was no exception. A group of five came through the first checkpoint at 7.5k within seconds of each other, Pommeret leading this last bid for glory. Of the four hangers-on, only Mohamed managed to stay with the flying Pommeret, and they came through 16k together, two minutes ahead of Rachid and Gras. Mohamed edged ahead of Pommeret in the final 7k, to mark his fifth stage victory in 1:36:37. Pommeret finished nine seconds later in 1:36:46, six minutes before Rachid, which was not enough to change the cumulative rankings.
Mohamed El Morabity claimed his second overall victory at the event in 20:47:39, relegating his older brother Rachid El Morabity to silver position in 21:16:25. Ludovic Pommeret took bronze in 21:18:43, concluding his magnificent debut participation in the event.
2026 Marathon des Sables Men’s Results
- Mohamed El Morabity (Morocco) – 20:47:39
- Rachid El Morabity (Morocco) – 21:16:25
- Ludovic Pommeret (France) – 21:18:43
- Ahmed Ouikhalfen (Morocco) – 22:10:39
- Ryan Sandes (South Africa) – 23:21:05
- Alberto Sanz (Spain) – 23:49:49
- Nick Peers (Belgium) – 24:17:18
- Arthur Courcoux (France) – 24:27:49
- Julien Absalon (France) – 24:46:30
- Merile Robert (France) – 25:11:10
2026 Marathon des Sables Women’s Race
In the women’s race, the first day was marked by the battle between Morocco’s Aziza El Amrany and Maryline Nakache of France. El Amrany set a blistering pace over the opening distance, coming through 16k with a minute’s lead over Nakache. Nakache refused to yield, digging in through the second half to cross the line in 3:04:01, over five minutes ahead of El Amrany, and 17 minutes in front of the third-place finisher, Agathe Teillet-Magot of France. Des Linden (U.S.) arrived four minutes later in 3:25:26 for fourth place, with Rajaa Hamdaoua of France a further 12 minutes behind in fifth place.
Nakache continued where she left off on the second stage, ripping through the early dunes to win convincingly in 3:48:21, and extend her overall lead in the race. El Amrany, perhaps paying the price for her fast start on the previous day, faded in the later miles of the stage, leaving Teillet-Magot and Linden to take second and third place in both the stage and the overall standings.
Nakache continued her epic show of dominance over the third stage, flying over the 29k loop to finish in 2:50:21. El Amrany crossed the line 14 minutes after, winning back some of the precious minutes on the rest of the field after her rough second stage. Teillet-Magot completed the podium for the day in 3:08:56.
As the sun set over the desert on the eve of the long stage, Nakache held the lead, sitting almost an hour ahead of Teillet-Magot, with an overall time of 9:47:43. El Amrany and Linden held third and fourth place, separated by under seven minutes, and Hamdaoua closed out the top five. If Nakache seemed untouchable at the front, the rest of the podium was far from being decided.
As is often the case on the long stage, the grueling 100k Stage 4 was a make-or-break moment for many runners. The distance, fatigue, and extended time in the sun made for the ultimate test of strength and willpower. Nakache, however, did not seem to be affected by any of these factors. She led from the outset, storming to her fourth victory in 10:02:22, over 90 minutes ahead of El Amrany, who finished in 11:40:00. Linden pulled out all the stops to mark her second third-place finish, crossing the line in 12:16:57. Standout performances from Floriane Sabatte and Julie Puthoste, both of France, saw them take fourth and fifth place in 12:52:57 and 13:16:55, respectively. Stomach problems forced Teillet-Magot to walk for the majority of the stage. She eventually finished in 24:43:30. crushing her hopes for a place on the overall podium. Continued issues would keep Teillet-Magot walking, allowing her to finish the race but well off the top 10.
Overall standings at the end of the fourth stage saw Nakache more than double her time gap on the rest of the field, in a time of 19:45:05. El Amrany and Linden seemed secure in second and third place, in 22:32:12 and 23:15:47. After having been in 10th place at the issue of the previous day, Sabatte’s gutsy Stage 4 performance saw her move into fifth place behind Hamdaoua. The field was significantly more spread out than previously, with the first five separated by nearly 5.5 hours.
After a well-deserved rest day for the top runners, while the rest of the field finished the long stage, the athletes embarked on the penultimate stage, a more easygoing marathon-length loop across hard-packed sand. Nakache continued her uncontested show of dominance to win the stage convincingly in 4:03:03. Magda Boulet (U.S.) ran a beautifully controlled stage to finish in second ahead of El Amrany in third and Linden in fourth; this was a performance she’d repeat in Stage 6, though struggles on the long stage meant she wasn’t in contention for the top 10 overall. The cumulative standings didn’t change with Nakache, El Amrany, and Linden in podium positions.
The final, sixth stage was 23.2k long, just over a half marathon, and saw runners go out hard despite the week of preceding challenges. El Amrany led the charge, coming through 7k a minute ahead of Nakache. Linden followed in third, closely followed by Hamdaoua and Sabatte.
Maryline Nakache proved once and for all that she was in a league of her own, making it to the Stage 6 finish line first in 2:06:22 and winning the race with a cumulative time of 25:54:29. Taking third in Stage 6, Aziza El Amrany finished in an undisputed silver place for the second year in a row with a time of 29:22:34, and Des Linden’s steady show of grit saw her take bronze in 30:16:32.
2026 Marathon des Sables Legendary Women’s Results
- Maryline Nakache (France) – 25:54:29
- Aziza El Amrany (Morocco) – 29:22:34
- Des Linden (U.S.) – 30:16:32
- Rajaa Hamdaoua (France) – 32:16:08
- Floriane Sabatte (France) – 32:33:20
- Tomomi Bitoh (Japan) – 33:45:29
- Aziza Raji (Morocco) – 33:50:00
- Julie Puthoste (France) – 34:16:59
- Birte Hayes (Germany) – 35:01:42
- Elizabeth Scott (U.S.) – 36:00:36
2026 Marathon des Sables Legendary Results: Mohamed El Morabity and Maryline Nakache Dominate by Deki Fourcin.
