Why aren't more people on the UK using the MDS 120 events as a perfect dress rehearsal?
It never ceases to amaze me how many people sign up for the Marathon des Sables, spend thousands of pounds on equipment, flights and race entries, and then arrive in the Sahara without ever having properly tested themselves in the conditions they're about to face.
Why? And I really mean WHY?
After 23 MDS desert races, I've learned a couple of vital lessons - Preparation is everything. And there's absolutely no substitute for experience.
That's why I can't understand why more people don't use the MDS 120 events as a perfect dress rehearsal for the full MDS Legendary each April.
At a 120 you’ll get to experience heat, sand, being self-sufficient and test food, the sleeping arrangements and, perhaps most importantly, what happens to your body and mind when you have to get up and do it all again the following day.
It's the perfect opportunity to discover what works and, more importantly, what doesn't.
Your shoes might feel wonderful during a Sunday morning training run, but will they still feel wonderful after 42.2kms on sand? Will your carefully selected freeze-dried meals still be appetising after several days? Does your backpack rub? Do your water bottles leak? Do you even like flapjack?
Wouldn't you rather discover the answers before your big event?
Of course, we have some excellent multiday events right here in the UK. The Druid and Pilgrim Challenges are both fantastic opportunities to experience running on consecutive days, manage fatigue, recover overnight and get back out there when your legs are telling you otherwise.
They're valuable preparation, and I'd encourage anyone heading to the Sahara in April to sign up. But there's one very important difference, they’re in mud, not sand.
And believe me, sand changes everything.
You may be an accomplished runner, but you can find yourself completely humbled by the desert. Sand demands a different running technique, uses muscles you barely knew existed, and makes every kilometre feel harder than the last.
That's why a MDS 120 event is such a brilliant stepping stone. With 70, 100 and 120km options, it provides a genuine desert experience without immediately committing to the full MDS Legendary event distance. The people that I coached for MDS 120 Morocco in 2025, smashed MDS Legendary in 2026. Those that went with me in October will hopefully do the same next year.
And if Morocco isn't an option, there's another solution much closer to home.
Come and run with us at Merthyr Mawr Sand Dunes.
Here in South Wales, we're fortunate to have some of Britain's finest sand dunes. They're tough, demanding and remarkably effective at exposing weaknesses in your preparation. We regularly use them as part of The Rory Coleman Method training.
The dunes reduce most would be desert warriors to a slow bimble by the last 7km lap. Sand doesn't care about your marathon PB. It doesn't care how expensive your trainers are or how impressive your training looks on Strava. It simply exposes any weakness you have. Okay, we might not have the Sahara heat, but boy do we have the terrain!
And that's precisely why we train there.
These sessions aren't just about stronger legs. They're about testing backpacks, footwear, pacing and technique. They're about learning from people who’ve already experienced the desert and building the confidence that comes from knowing what to expect.
The first time you encounter sand shouldn't be when you're standing on the start line in Morocco, wondering what you've let yourself in for. I've always believed that success at the Marathon des Sables is earned long before you arrive in the Sahara.
So why leave anything to chance?
Enter an MDS 120 event or join us in Merthyr Mawr and test yourself and your equipment. Learn from your mistakes and build your confidence because the Marathon des Sables should be the culmination of your preparation, not the place where you discover what preparation you should’ve done.
The Coleman Takeaway: Multiday running teaches you to cope with fatigue, and sand running teaches you to cope with the desert if you want to succeed at the Marathon des Sables, and let’s face it, you’re going need both.
The Rory Coleman Method - Raise Your Average.
