Rachid El Morabity

About

Rachid El Morabity is a Moroccan ultrarunner from Zagora — a Saharan gateway town in southern Morocco where his family farms watermelons — who has become the greatest Marathon des Sables champion in the history of the sport. Between 2011 and 2025 he won the gruelling 250km, six-stage Sahara race 11 times, surpassing the previous record of 10 held by compatriot Lahcen Ahansal and cementing Morocco's dominance over a race that traverses its own desert. His fastest MDS time of 18:31:24, set in 2019, remains among the most extraordinary performances in the event's history. In the years he did not win the MDS, he typically finished second — behind only his younger brother Mohamed, who claimed the title in 2023 and 2026. Beyond the Sahara, El Morabity has won the Ultra Mirage El Djerid (successfully defended the following year), the Al Marmoom Ultramarathon Desert in the UAE, and other desert ultra events across multiple continents. He has also worked to develop the next generation of Moroccan endurance runners, organising running groups in Zagora with childhood friend Abdelhadi El Moustahli — a legacy that may outlast even his record win tally.

Notable Wins

• — Marathon des Sables 11x (2011
• — 2014
• — 2015
• — 2016
• — 2017
• — 2018
• — 2019
• — 2021
• — 2022
• — 2024
• — 2025)
• — Ultra Mirage El Djerid 2018
• — Al Marmoom Ultramarathon Desert

Race History