The first winner in one of the toughest races on earth has emerged; 25 year Mohamed El Morabity of team TGCC, won the first stage of Marathon des Sables on Sunday, completing the 30.3km race in 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 30 seconds.
The Moroccan completed his race 12 seconds ahead of his older brother, team-mate and 5-time winner of Marathon des Sables, Rachid El Morabity.
Morocco’s Marathon des Sables, which has attracted almost 20,000 participants since its inception in 1986, featured nearly 1,300 international runners in its 33rd edition.
As hundreds of participants race across the scorching sand dunes of the Saharan desert, in a competition so gruelling it requires participants to be over 18 and medically certified, El Morabity’s win is another feather in Morocco’s well-plumed cap; The marathon has recorded a long series of victories by Moroccan athletes, most notably with 10 time winner Lahcen Ahansal.