In 2024, I completed the Legendary Marathon des Sables 250km foot race. For the 40th anniversary edition in 2026, I am returning to the desert, not to race, but as a 'Blue Jacket' volunteer.
The MDS Legendary is often described as an 'unforgettable human journey', and having experienced it as a competitor, I know that the most lasting benefit isn't the medal; it’s the connections for life made in the dunes.
The Overland Journey: Team Train
The MDS organisation provides different travel options for the hundreds of staff and volunteers. While many choose to fly, there is also an optional overland route. I am one of eight British volunteers who decided to join the group known as 'Team Train'.
My journey begins on March 28 as I travel from my home to London. On March 29, I will meet the other seven UK volunteers in London, and we will take the Eurostar to Paris together. In Paris, we will meet the rest of the Team Train group, which includes both MDS staff and volunteers of various nationalities. From there, we navigate the borders south as one team.
The Route
- March 30: Paris to Madrid via Barcelona
- March 31: Madrid to Tangier via Algeciras (ferry crossing).
- April 1: Tangier to Marrakech
- April 2: Bus transfer through the Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate
Into the Sahara
The journey does not end in Ouarzazate. After an overnight stay and team briefing we meet the race participants and begin a 6-hour bus journey deeper into the Sahara Desert to reach the first bivouac.
We will spend 8 nights in the Sahara. The bivouac is a massive, mobile race village, though it does not move every single day. Its location depends on the stage lengths and race requirements. When it is time to move, the entire camp is dismantled, transported, and rebuilt in a new location to meet the runners at the end of their stage.
Two Colours, One Team
At the MDS, the staff and volunteer team is divided into two distinct but complementary groups:
- Medical Teams (110 Orange Jackets): Doctors, nurses, podiatrists, and paramedics, ensuring physical safety.
- Runner Relations (150 Blue Jackets): Our role is to welcome, guide, and support the 1,500 participants from 70 different countries.
Our shared mission is to help every participant cross the finish line as happy and healthy as possible.
The 'Blue Jacket' Experience
Volunteering in the Sahara is a mindset. This is a dirty, dusty adventure where our sole goal is to support the race participants. It is an authentic, disconnected experience with long days, short nights and little sleep.
Unlike the race participants, who must carry and prepare all their own rations, we have our meals provided. This means we don't have to worry about our own survival logistics, allowing us to stay entirely focused on supporting the runners. It ensures we have the energy to be there for them at the checkpoints or out on the dunes, keeping their needs as our only priority.
Our blue jackets become a second skin, marking us as the support system for everyone on the course.
A Day in the Life
Our days start with an early breakfast and briefing before heading to our posts. As a Blue Jacket, the work is a mix of race admin and physical support:
- Checkpoint Setup: Setting up equipment in the middle of the dunes.
- Race Admin: Scanning bib numbers as runners pass through to ensure everyone is accounted for.
- Support: Distributing drinking water and watching for any signs of weakness to report to the medical teams.
- Motivation: Cheering on participants, offering a smile when things get tough, and helping identify arrivals at the finish line for the announcer.
- Dismantling: Making sure absolutely no waste is left behind before moving back to the bivouac for the nightly briefing.
On the Course
We also have the opportunity to walk out on the course to offer direct reassurance and encouragement to the runners. Whether working a checkpoint or walking with those at the back of the pack, the goal is simply to be the support that helps them keep moving forward.
Rejoining the MDS Community
My thanks to the Marathon des Sables organisation, (and to Rory Coleman for putting me forward) for the opportunity to join this road trip and serve as a volunteer.
I’m especially pleased to be heading out as part of Team Coleman alongside fellow runners, and MDS Legendary completers from the group, Maria Roberts and Simon Halliday, plus Rory Coleman's daughter Pearl, who are also joining the volunteers this year. It’s a testament to the lasting bonds formed through this race that we are returning together to support the next generation of participants.
Managing the logistics for such a large team across multiple borders is a massive undertaking, and I am proud to be part of the crew for this 40th-anniversary edition. I’m especially looking forward to reaching Morocco and reuniting with the many people I know from my 2024 race, both within the staff and among the participants.
I’ll have my sketchbook with me, and I look forward to sharing some of the drawings with you when I’m back.
See you in the dunes!