Atlas to Sahara
The Atlas to Sahara – The Berber Challenge / The Race of the Free People!
Six epic stages. Six iconic landscapes. Six Brutal Marathons, One unforgettable journey.
Date – 28th October to 5th November 2026
The Atlas to Sahara is a race with scenery straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster, that will leave you to write your own adventure story. A race that will take you from the High Atlas Mountains to The Iconic Dunes of the Sahara Desert. The challenge follows the the routes on the ancient caravans many of which were carved out 1000’s of years before Arab and Western settlers, by the Berber People – The Free People!
Every stage has its own vibe and challenge, But they all have one thing in common. The backdrops and the trails are World Class! and you will feel like a free person in a different era.
Who is the Race For
There are two options
- The 250K Full – The Race of the Free People!
- The 125k Half – The Berber Challenge
- The Full, which will be 250k over 6 days, Equals a Marathon a day. The terrain and heat make this a challenge for the -1%.
Atlas to Sahara – The Race of the Free People! Is a tough challenge for anyone. Not only do you have to show up each day and take on the challenge of a Marathon in the Moroccan Wilderness. You have to manage your logistics, nutrition, hydration and mental state, not only whilst on the trails but equally as important, when you finish each stage.
To finish the Atlas to Sahara will be monumental achievement. The things that will spur you on will be.
- Personal Pride, drive and determination to achieve! This is about you!
- Fully supported race, with staff that will motivate, whilst looking after your safety.
- Each stage will be timed with leader board,
- Live tracking for friends, family and loved ones to watch from afar.
- Unique Finishers T-shirt
- Bespoke Medal worthy of the Achievement.
- Fully supported logistics, accommodation and food from the moment we pick you up at Marrakech Airport to dropping you back.
- Each day has a cut off (10 to 12 hours depending on the day, route and terrain)
Price – £2250
- Deposit £250
- Followed by 4 equal payments
- Or Option of Monthly Payments
2 – The Half will be 100K, still a challenge but one that can be achieved by all at a good hiking pace.
Atlas to Sahara – The Berber Challenge is The half version. This is ideal for a proper 6 day hiking challenge but can also be run, you can treat it as a race or an adventure challenge. The routes will follow the same trail as the full and will be spectacular and a real sense of being in the wilderness with the only people you are likely to see are your fellow hikers and the nomadic people of the Mountains and Desert. The beauty of the half is that you will have the time to enjoy the culture and extra available activities along the way and at the end of the day.
What You Get
- Fully supported hike, with staff that will motivate, whilst looking after your safety.,
- Unique T-shirt
- Bespoke Medal worthy of the Achievement.
- Fully supported logistics, accommodation and food from Marrakech Airport and back.
- Each stage will be timed with leader board,
- Live tracking for friends, family and loved ones to watch from afar.
- You can treat this as a race or a hiking challenge there is no pressure on you. Other than the expectations you set yourself.
- Each day has a cut off (10 to 12 hours depending on the day, route and terrain)
Price £2250
- Deposit £250
- Followed by 4 equal payments
- Or Option of Monthly Payments
To Pay Deposit
To pay the deposit please Email the below address for a payment link and the follow up payment options that you would like to take.
THE STORY OF THE RACE
We have been working with our friends from MTB Morocco for over 7 years and the race has been in discussion since the start of our journey together. Lachen from MTB Morocco is a true Berber Adventurer, He knows the country and its hidden paths like no other. It is his knowledge and his companies partnership that gives us the confidence to undertake a world class challenge.
The Message from Lachen,
“You don’t come here only to run.
You come to move through places that were shaped by wind, mountains, nomads, roses, canyons, and stories older than maps. Each day takes runners deeper into the Moroccan South — from ancient kasbahs to the front edge of the Sahara, finishing where the horizon never ends. I and my team are proud to be Berbers and extremely proud of the region we live and work in. In true Berber style and as the fundamental core of our culture welcoming people to our region and giving them a true Berber experience is our reward”.
This is one of the many reasons why we love visiting our Berber friends and the region. We are super excited for this race and the wonders it has to offer. in 2025 we covered the route of the Atlas to Sahara Berber Challenge and it truly was an experience of a lifetime.
This is a unique opportunity to be part the inaugural running of the Atlas to Sahara – The Berber Challenge or The Race of the freeman!
The Itinerary and 6 Stages
Day 1 – Arrival
Meet in Marrakesh, and transfer to Ait Benhaddou, Where we will have a welcome meal and be briefed, issued tracker, have kit check and have time to prepare for the start.
Day 2 – Stage 1. Aït Benhaddou
A fortress village on the old salt and gold caravan road.
Thousands of years of history, now a UNESCO site and filming location for many movies. Such as Gladiators, Game of Thrones and Lawrence of Arabia.
Day 3 – Stage 2. Rose Valley
Known for its once-a-year rose harvest, where families handpick thousands of petals to make the famous Moroccan rosewater.
Day 4 – Stage 3. The Gorges (Todra or Dades)
Carved naturally over millions of years by water.
These canyons were used by nomads as natural corridors.
Day 5 – Stage 4. Zagora
The traditional “Gateway to the Desert.”
The iconic sign “Tombouctou 52 days” celebrates the old camel trade route to Timbuktu.
Day 6 – Stage 5. Chegaga Dunes
One of the largest dune systems in Morocco — wild, untouched, and mystical.
A place where silence becomes a landscape. The silence is deafening!
Day 7 – Stage 6. Iriki Plateau
A dry lake once filled with water, now a place where the horizon looks infinite.
It is used today for rallies and film shoots because of its surreal, moon-like surface.
Its also One final push to achieve your goal!
Day 8 – Recovery Day
The recovery day, will be race debrief, awards, celebration meal ceremony and any extra activities or site seeing people may want to do.
Day 9 – Depart
We will travel back to Marrakesh to fly out or if people want to stay in the city for a few days we can drop you at an appropriate location.
This race brings all these legendary locations into one story, one journey, one continuous adventure.
4. What is included in the package?
- Full organisation of the 9 day adventure including the 6-day race
- Professional timing and race support
- GPS Live tracking – real time for family and friends to watch
- Medical team and safety crew
- Drinking-water stations every stage
- Luggage transport (you run with only essentials)
- All accommodation during the event
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily
- Tea ceremonies, workshops, and cultural moments
- Transfers between locations
- Closing celebration in the desert
- Race goody bag, Includes Medal & T-shirt
WHAT MAKES THIS RACE DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS?
- Having the choice between the two the distance, you choose difficulty ,
- Designed for all runners/hikers, not only established ultra-athletes.
- The culture immersion is natural, not staged. And will be ever lasting
- The landscapes change dramatically every day. Keeping the excitement, challenge and beauty fresh
- It feels more like an adventure experience with running,
- Runners get the feeling that they are crossing into a whole new world during the six stages.
- The accommodation is very good
- The support, welcome and service will be personal and first class.