Ultra X Morocco

Event Overview

Course & Terrain

Two-day desert route around Ouarzazate through rocky trails, fortified villages, kasbahs, and oases.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

• The start at the Taourirt Kasbah in central Ouarzazate
• The Fint Oasis on Stage 1 (2023 route)
• An overnight camp with showers and a pool near Tazentout
• Ait Benhaddou, the UNESCO World Heritage earthen village, on Stage 2

Ultra X grades the course 2 out of 6 for difficulty and 2 out of 5 for technicality, and it describes rocky desert trails, open valleys, traditional villages, palm groves and kasbahs, stressing that it is not a flat road race. The 2023 launch route, which the 2026 start, camp and 25 km start still match, left the Taourirt Kasbah through Ouarzazate’s narrow streets into green countryside and an ankle-deep river, then turned to arid, rocky desert, contoured a tall jebel and dropped into the Fint Oasis before hard-packed, gently rolling ground to camp. Stage 2 crossed the dry Iriri riverbed, ran through the villages of Ait Boumehand, Imzoughene and Tadoula and on through Ait Benhaddou, and finished on mostly flat or downhill ground back toward Ouarzazate. The course is marked, but you must carry the GPX offline on a phone or watch and be able to show it at registration.

Ultra X describes mid-November in Ouarzazate as warm by day and cool at night, from about 8°C (46°F) overnight to highs that can reach 30°C (86°F). The kit list calls for a warm jacket and a sleeping bag rated for nights of 4–10°C (39–50°F) at camp, and recommends a warm hat along with a cap, sunglasses and sunscreen. Waterproof trousers and gloves become mandatory if the organizer calls for extreme-weather kit, a decision made a week before the race. Stage 1’s 9:00 PM cutoff means slower runners finish in the dark, and a headlamp with spare batteries or a second light is mandatory.

Entry & Logistics

Why This Race Matters

Ultra X launched Morocco in 2023 as a two-day, 110 km taste of desert stage racing around Ouarzazate, the “door of the desert” south of the High Atlas, with entries from £365 for the first edition on November 4–5. The 2026 race on November 14–15 is the fourth. Runners cover about 61 km on Saturday from the Taourirt Kasbah to a camp near Tazentout, then about 51 km on Sunday past the UNESCO-listed village of Ait Benhaddou. The organizer calls it its most accessible and runnable course, with about 1,368 m of climbing, and it is a UTMB World Series index race in the 50K category. Finishers grew from 103 in 2023 to 147 in 2025, and the 2026 edition sold out.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

• Men: Brandon Delacote (France), 9:26:46 for both stages, 2024
• Women: Kate MacArthur (UK), 10:49:50 for both stages, 2025

Preparing for a Race Like Ultra X Morocco

The stage race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

• Stage race packing list: Mandatory kit, daily carry, camp bags, food and foot care.
• Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
• Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
• Blister prevention: Socks, taping, lubrication, shoe fit and hot spots.

Best Fit

• Runners seeking a shorter introduction to staged desert racing
• First-time ultrarunners who want a runnable 110 km with an overnight camp
• Runners testing desert kit and fueling before a week-long stage race
• Travelers who want to add Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains or a Sahara safari

Planning Notes

• Study the mandatory gear list early and rehearse carrying the exact pack weight you expect to use on race day.
• Heat, sun, and dry air require event-specific preparation. Test sun protection and cooling, drink in response to thirst, and remember that sodium cannot make overdrinking safe.
• The directory marks this as having comparatively simpler logistics. That editorial label is not a safety rating; verify cutoffs, terrain, support, crew access, and withdrawal procedures.
• A wide temperature swing, from highs that can reach 30°C (86°F) by day to about 8°C (46°F) at night
• Self-fueling: Ultra X lists only water at checkpoints, so you carry your own race food plus an 800 kcal emergency reserve, with every item labeled with its calories
• Stage 1 is almost 61 km with a 9:00 PM cutoff at camp, so a slow day ends in the dark
• Departure cutoffs at every checkpoint; miss one and you lose your ranking and medal even if you are cleared to start the next stage

Event FAQs

Related Preparation

• Compare this race in the full 2026 calendar
• Browse the multiday stage-race calendar
• Open the Stage Race format guide
• Compare all race formats
• Use the timed-race pace calculator
• Plan checkpoint arrivals and cutoff buffers
• Estimate race calories and plan fueling
• Build a crew and drop-bag plan
• Build a race-specific gear checklist