Drama at the Marathon des Sables

The 250-kilometer ultra-endurance event, contested in six self-sufficient stages, was marked by a tragedy. On Wednesday, April 8, 2026, around 4 a.m. and just before the start of the fourth stage, a participant named Grégory suffered a severe malaise at the bivouac. The organization specifies that he was "taken care of without delay by the medical teams" before being airlifted to the hospital center in Errachidia, Morocco.

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Despite the rapid intervention and mobilization of the medical staff, the runner lost his life a few days after his admission. Before making this information public, the event organizers met and exchanged with his family. They also point out that the athlete, whose age remains unknown, "met all the required medical requirements" and had not requested any assistance from the doctors since the start of the competition.

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Deeply affected, the race management expressed its sincere condolences to the victim’s loved ones. This is the fourth death recorded in forty years of existence. The previous tragedy dated back to the 2021 edition, during which a French competitor close to fifty years old had succumbed to a heart attack.