Maryline NAKACHE (D38-FRA)

New to the MARATHON DES SABLES, Maryline NAKACHE (D38-FRA) is on our list of favorites for this 37th edition. French Long Trail Champion in 2018, winner of the 6000D the same year and two Eco-Trails de Paris in 2019 and 2022, then second this year in the same race, not to mention numerous victories and podiums in local events , national and international, Maryline's track record speaks for itself. Always a sportswoman, she groped her way for a long time before taking up the game of trail running in 2017. She quickly found her way to the podiums, and since then hasn't sulked about her pleasure. At 38, it is therefore logical to see her shine on the next MDS, even if it is a first: “It is a new adventure for me. I have never run on this type of terrain, in these conditions of heat and autonomy. »

A doctor of materials science in the field of space satellites, Maryline has her head on her shoulders and knows how to manage her sports career perfectly: “Participating in the MDS has been one of my dreams for a long time. I'm really looking forward. My goal is to have fun, to fully live this human and sporting adventure and to surpass myself. What I fear the most is starving, because I'm very energy-hungry, but I don't intend to overload myself too much! With my very light size, the weight of the bag may have a lot of impact on my stride which already looks like nothing…”

If Maryline has already run across Morocco, particularly as part of the UTAT (Ultra Trail Atlas Toubkal), this will be the first time she has made an incursion into the southern Moroccan Sahara: "I have always been attracted by the great wilderness, but I don't really know the desert, except for a few days spent in Wadi Rum in Jordan, in the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia or in Death Valley in California. » A first therefore in this environment in running, and of course all the uncertainties that go with it.

But there is one certainty for Maryline when it comes to running, it is that you have to do it with the heart: "In addition to living my dream of running the MDS, I come for a good cause and I a goal close to my heart. Indeed, Maryline will run under the colors of the Solidarité MARATHON DES SABLES association, and has announced that she will donate any bonuses to the association: “SMDS is a great association with values that I fully support. If I can give them something back, I'll be the happiest! »

Photo @Cyrille QUINTARD