The contenders for the male podium of the 37th MARATHON DES SABLES

Rachid EL MORABITY (MAR - 41 years old)

Great favourite of this 37^th edition, Rachid will run for his tenth victory! If he succeeds, he will equal the record of his compatriot Lahcen AHANSAL.

Mohamed EL MORABITY (MAR - 31 years old)

Rachid's younger brother (10 years younger) has been on the second step of the podium every time for the last 5 editions.

Mathieu BLANCHARD (FRA - 35 years old)

A professional ultra-trailer since 2016, Mathieu broke through by finishing 3^rd of the 2021 UTMB and followed this up in 2022 by finishing 2^nd behind Kilian JORNET. He also finished 5^th of the MARATHON DES SABLES in 2021, affected like many participants by the epidemic of gastroenteritis.

Aziz YACHOU (MAR - 30 years old)

Fourth in 2021, then third in 2022, Aziz will do everything to stop the domination of the EL MORABITY brothers.

Anton SAMOKHVALOV (RUS - 37)

Some good performances for this Russian runner who has been active on trail races for the last ten years or so, with generally a sustained and constant speed. An asset on the MDS.

David KILGORE (USA - 31 years old)

Originally from Florida where he used to hunt alligators, and now a full-time athlete since 2019, David can't help but joke around, except when he's running. A member of the U.S. ultra-trail team. This will be his first MDS.

Vasilii KORYTKIN (RUS - 34 years old)

Recently entered in the world of ultra races (2021), Vasilii has only a few events to his credit, and rather on road or track. But when you clock up 260 km over 24 hours or 86 km over 6 hours, you can only be taken seriously.

Erik CLAVERY (FRA - 42 years old)

A charismatic athlete who is always available, Erik does everything in the world of ultra: 24 hours, 100 km, ultra-trails, stage races... Most of the time with great success, and for the last 15 years! Fifth on the MDS in 2016 for his only participation.

Yen Po CHEN (TWN - 36 years old)

A full-time athlete, Yen Po will be attempting his first MARATHON DES SABLES, but he has won several MDS-format events on several continents.

Pierre MESLET (FRA - 38 years old)

With a ninth place in 2021, Pierre has already shown that he is a force to be reckoned with at the MDS. Moreover, he will be competing as part of a team with Mérile ROBERT, Erik CLAVERY and Geoffrey PLISSON, three boys who compete at a high level, which is a great additional motivation.

Geoffrey PLISSON (FRA – 35 years old)

Already tenth in 2022, Geoffrey is also part of the Team France Terdav with the four other Frenchmen who will try to outdo the Moroccan runners. With his inimitable retro style, Geoffrey will make the sand of the Sahara fly!

Mohamed FARAJ (MAR – 47 years old)

With 10 participations in the MDS, Mohamed can be considered an expert on this particular event! He finished at best in twelfth place (2013) and we can count on him to try to do at least as well.