Source: http://marathondessables.com/en/marathon-des-sables/2019
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 18:11:57+00:00

Document:
The 34th MARATHON DES SABLES is organized by ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION Internationale and will take place from 05 to 15 April 2019 in southern Morocco. This 34th annual event will take place under the aegis of the MOROCCAN MINISTRY OF TOURISM and will bring together around 1 300 French and foreign participants.
The 34th MARATHON DES SABLES is a foot race, open to runners and walkers, with several stages, free style, and with food self-sufficiency over a distance of about 250 Km. Each participant must carry his/her own backpack containing food, sleeping gear and other material.
The 34th MARATHON DES SABLES will be administered according to the general race regulations and their amendments (road book,...), to which all participants agree when they register.
Teenagers over 16 may participate in the 34th MARATHON DES SABLES subject to prior consent from ATLANTIDE ORGANISATION Internationale and written permission from a parent or guardian. They will have to meet the same requirements as adults.
05 April: Departure for Morocco*, arrival, transfer bivouac.
06 April: Technical, administrative and medical formalities.
07 to 12 April: Timed stages with food self-sufficiency.
These will take place on 06 April 2019.
These ID marks must be worn by the participants throughout the race and positioned according to the organization's indications, failing which penalties will be issued. The race stewards may carry out checks at any time. It is formally forbidden to cover the organization's race numbers with any other lettering. Each participant must ensure his/her ID marking is clear, entirely visible, in good condition and in the proper place, under pain of penalty (see ART. 27 and 28).The organization will provide competitors with spare tags in case of damage or loss. The distress beacon must be handed in at the end of the race. The loss of the distress beacon will incur a fine of 100 euro (see ART. 27 and 28).
the "non-stop" stage, where the leaders of the general and women's classifications will start around 3 hours after the 1st start.
the "marathon" stage, where the last on the list will be the first to leave.
Each competitor must attend a briefing session with the race Director before the stage starts. Participants must imperatively start at the time indicated by the organization, subject to penalties (see ART. 28).
The Charity Stage is obligatory and counts as part of MDS. Any competitor who does not participate or gives up this stage will be disqualified from MDS. Any penalties received shall be included in the general race ranking. A finisher medal is awarded at the end of this stage.
The organisation reminds all participants that the 34th MARATHON DES SABLES is a race through the Sahara where climatic and ground conditions can be extreme. Any outside assistance is strictly prohibited. Replenishment during the race shall incur a minimum penalty of 3 hours and possibly exclusion. If a competitor goes far off the race route, necessitating a lengthy search, he or she will be excluded from the race and pay a € 200 fine (see ART. 27 and 28).
The participants in the 34th MARATHON DES SABLES must follow the route as marked by the organizers, failing which penalties may be applied according to the particular stage. For liaison stages, the course will be marked approximately every 500 metres. There are several natural landmarks that will serve as additional points of reference.
A road book will be compiled from the survey reconnaissance missions. The exact course will remain secret and will only be revealed at the time of distributing the road books on 05 April. It will include various items of interest on the stages, support, etc. Competitors shall be penalized they you do not have their roadbook during the race. (see ART. 28).
Each entrant must provide his/her own food from 07 to 13 April inclusive.
The total cost of the entry fee not include flights transfers.
o The balance must be paid in 4 instalments according to the following timetable: 25% on 30/06/18, 30/09/18, 30/11/18 and 15/01/19.
o The balance must be paid in 3 instalments according to the following timetable: 33% on 30/09/18, 30/11/18 and 15/01/19.
o The balance must be paid in 2 instalments according to the following timetable: 45% on 30/11/18 and 55% on 15/01/19.
o The balance must be paid by 15 January 2019.
If the number of places for the 2019 edition is reached, the organization will establish a waiting list.
2. If no places become free on the 2019 edition, the application will transferred with a priority to MDS 2020 following the conditions of the 2020 edition. Competitors who do not wish to take part in MDS 2020 may cancel their application within a maximum of 3 months after they appear on the waiting list. In this case, AOI will retain 10% of the application fee (dates and tariff published in December 2018).
- Validate and make the first instalment: payment by bank card, only in Europe, or payment by bank transfer within 8 days for all countries.
The organization's medical certificate (downloadable), the resting electrocardiogram (ECG) report plus graph, dated less than 30 days before the start of the race, i.e. after 05 March 2019, are to be presented during the administrative, technical and medical checks on 06 April 2019. Only the original documents, dated and signed, will be accepted (photocopies not valid). Failure to present these documents will incur penalties (see ART.27 et 28).
• Deposit of 500 euro will be retained for processing fee in the event of cancellation until 30/04/18.
• 25% of the full enrolment fee will be retained by the organisation in the event of cancellation between 01/05/18 and 30/09/18.
• 40% of the full enrolment fee will be retained by the organisation in the event of cancellation between 01/10/18 and 30/11/18.
• 60% of the full enrolment fee will be retained by the organisation in the event of cancellation between 01/12/18 and 15/01/19.
Beyond 15/01/19 midnight no request for reimbursement will be honoured.
Important: AOI strongly recommends that each competitor take out personal cancellation insurance. It is possible to subscribe a cancellation insurance with our partner ASSURINCO (online sign up, just click here). From the registration confirmation for the MDS 2019 (sent by email once the 1st payment has been validated), the subscription period for insurance is 2 days. This choice remains at the competitor discretion.
If a participant is more than 30 minutes late for these checks on 06 April he/she will be penalised by the length of time of his/her lateness.
At the medical check-ups in Morocco on 6 April 2019, competitors must present the organization's medical certificate and his or her resting electrocardiogram with tracing. These 2 documents must be signed and dated at least 30 days before the start of the race, i.e. after 5 March 2019. Competitors who do not fulfil this obligation shall not be able to start the race. However, such competitors shall be able to participate after an examination by the organization's doctors and subject to their approval. Each of these documents can be produced in the bivouac for a fixed fine of 200 euro to be paid in cash on the spot. A penalty of one hour per missing document shall be applied (see ART. 28).
14 000 compulsory k/calories. When spot-checks are made, any competitor unable to present and justify the minimum 2000 k/calories per day during the race will receive a 2 hour penalty (see ART. 28).
The loss of the transponder will incur a fine of 70 euro (see ART. 28). The loss of the distress beacon will incur a fine of 100 euro (see ART. 28).
Daily race challenge: male and female categories : a credit of 400 euro per stage for the next enrolment in MARATHON DES SABLES. These reductions can be accumulated to a maximum of one complete entry fee.

References: ART. 27
 ART. 27
 ART. 28
 ART. 27
 ART. 28
 ART.27
 ART. 28
 ART. 28
 ART. 28
 ART. 28