Marathon des Sables Jordan 2026: Looking Back at Our 6th Edition in Wadi Rum

The sixth edition of the Marathon des Sables Jordan has come to an end. From 31 October to 7 November 2026, more than 500 runners and visitors, most of them from Europe, came to Jordan to race across the sand and rock of Wadi Rum, with time at the Dead Sea and a visit to Petra along the way. We organised the event in Jordan together with our partner, the French company Marathon des Sables, under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).

This was the sixth edition of the MDS in Jordan, and every edition teaches us something new. Here is a look back at this year’s race, at what goes on behind the scenes, and at how we worked to leave Wadi Rum exactly as we found it.

The race

The Marathon des Sables is one of the best-known endurance races in the world, and the Jordan edition, MDS 120, gives runners and walkers the choice of a 70, 100 or 120 km route over three stages. The first and last stages are each around 25 to 30 km, and on the second stage everyone chooses their own distance of 20, 40 or 60 km. Between stages, participants sleep in the race bivouac in the middle of the desert, with no electricity, no mobile signal and no showers, and they carry their own food for the whole race. Water is provided at the bivouac and at checkpoints along the course.

The first stage alone covered 27 km of soft sand and towering rock formations, and Jordan had a reason to celebrate early on: local runner Salameh Alaqra led to the first checkpoint and finished the stage in third place.

Wadi Rum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is hard to imagine a more spectacular place to run. Participants raced between red sandstone mountains and across dunes and wide open valleys.

More than a race

For us, the MDS has always been about more than the finish line. Before the race, participants spent two nights at the Dead Sea, and after the final stage they visited Petra before returning to the Dead Sea for a last day of rest and the closing gala dinner at the Crowne Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa. For many of them it was their first time in Jordan, and they went home having seen far more of the country than a single desert.

The closing ceremony, held under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr Imad Hijazin, also brought good news: Marathon des Sables announced a series of new sporting events that will take place in Jordan in the coming years in cooperation with us. We are ready to deliver them to the same high standards, and we are grateful for the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and everyone who helped make this edition possible.

Working with the people of Wadi Rum

An event of this size depends on the people who know the desert best. Together with our French partner, we involved the local community of Wadi Rum in every stage of the operation and the logistics, so that the benefits of the race went directly to the families who live there. More visitors staying more nights in Jordan also means more income for hotels, guides, drivers and restaurants across the country, not just in Wadi Rum.

Sustainability: leaving no trace in Wadi Rum

Bringing hundreds of people into a protected desert for a week comes with a responsibility, and waste is one of the biggest challenges. This year we partnered with a specialised waste management company to collect, separate and dispose of all the waste from the event properly, and to handle the recycling.

In practice, that meant sorting waste at source. Bins for different types of waste were set up at the bivouac and around the camp, and everything was collected regularly throughout the race days rather than left until the end. Recyclable materials, including the large number of plastic water bottles that a race in the desert inevitably produces, were separated and handed over for recycling, and the rest of the waste was disposed of safely and responsibly. We have shared the full figures and what we learned in Leaving Wadi Rum As We Found It: Waste Management at MDS 120 Jordan 2026.

Once each part of the event was finished, our team restored the camp sites and race routes to their natural state, so that the only signs left behind are footprints that the wind soon carries away. Wadi Rum is part of our home, and we want it to stay as wild and beautiful for the next generation of visitors as it was for this one.

Responsible travel is at the heart of how we work, all year round. We are Travelife Certified, and you can read more about our approach on our sustainability page.

Thank you

A big thank you to every runner and walker who took on the desert this year, to our partners at Marathon des Sables, to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board and ASEZA, and above all to our own team and the community of Wadi Rum, who worked day and night to make the event run smoothly.

Experience Wadi Rum yourself

You don’t have to run 120 km to fall in love with Wadi Rum. On our trips you can explore it by jeep, on foot or by bike, and spend a night in a Bedouin camp under the stars. Our Jordan Hiking Adventure includes a climb of Jabal Umm Ad-Dami, Jordan’s highest peak, and on Cycle Jordan you ride the Jordan Bike Trail across the desert. For a classic week that combines Wadi Rum with Petra, the Dead Sea and Aqaba, see our 7-day Jordan itinerary.

Planning to take part in a future edition of the Marathon des Sables Jordan? Details and registration are on the official Marathon des Sables website. And if you would like to come early or stay on to see more of Jordan, get in touch and we will help you plan.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Marathon des Sables Jordan?

It is the Jordan edition of the Marathon des Sables, MDS 120, a multi-stage race in the Wadi Rum desert. Participants choose a 70, 100 or 120 km route over three stages, sleep in a desert bivouac and carry their own food.

When was the 2026 Marathon des Sables Jordan?

From 31 October to 7 November 2026. It was the sixth edition of the event in Jordan.

Who organises the Marathon des Sables in Jordan?

Experience Jordan Adventures organises the event in Jordan in partnership with the French company Marathon des Sables, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Tourism Board and ASEZA.

How is waste managed at the MDS in Wadi Rum?

We worked with a specialised waste management company. Waste was sorted at source and collected regularly throughout the race, recyclables were separated and sent for recycling, the rest was disposed of responsibly, and the camp sites and routes were restored to their natural state after use.