Marathon Details - Marathon de Marrakech

International Marathons > Morocco > Marrakech > Marathon de Marrakech

Marathon de Marrakech & Half Marathon

Marrakech, Morocco

January 28, 2024

http://www.marathon-marrakech.com

More Info:	News
Results:	Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:
Address:	MC Voyages 65 Boulevard El Mansour Eddhabi Marrakech Guéliz
Phone Number:	00212 524 44 68 22
Fax Number:	00212 524 44 68 23
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 2.8

Spectators 3.6

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Number of comments: 45 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

D. L. from NY (2/5/2020) "Palm Groves, Mountains, Olive Groves & Motorbikes" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Registration and Expo Pros: - Multiple web sites are available for registration for regional users - Many friendly experienced staff are available at the expo - Plenty of porta-potties at the start with water and bananas for sale - Cool older race T-shirts for sale. Arrive very early as they run out fast! Cons: - Multiple web sites are available for registration and can be confusing. It appears https://www.marathon-marrakech.com/ and https://marathonmarrakech.ma/ are jointly managed, while another group seems to manage https://marrakechmarathon.com/ Expect a PayPal receipt from the former site with no reference to the event, and email responses may be delayed. The staff at the latter site are very punctual and informative, but help is limited if you did not register with this group. - Many friendly experienced staff are available at the expo and had insufficient resources. Three to four people at each of three designated bib pick up tents shared one laptop each. After being directed to 'the other tent' several times, we collectively discovered that not all of the bibs or t-shirts had yet arrived. Once delivered in a few hours all was well. Bring your printed bib number and confirm surname is accurate! The Course and Finish Pros: - Separate start for the 42K and 21K, so absence of corrals among 1000 people is not essential. - Bottled water and wet sponges were plentiful - Mostly scenic course with views of the mountains, palm and olive groves and acres of country club enclaves under construction. - Enthusiastic spectators during the first and final 5K. The intervening 22K allowed for reasonable privacy for elimination in the absence of porta-potties along the entire course. BYO T.P. - Nice morning racing temperatures. As previously mentioned in another review, an earlier start would make for a less intense sunny warm slog to the finish line. - Dates and unpeeled oranges are provided at many aid stations. Otherwise BYO sweets. - Enthusiastic 21K runners flood the course at about Mile 9. The deluge is energetic as it is perilous. - Nice finisher's medal and compact finish nutrition bag are provided. Cons - Run a 3-hour marathon if you wish to attend the award ceremony. - Closure of some aid stations and police course support thinned after 3 hours. Run smart especially the last 10K. - Motor scooter smog is nearly constant after the first hour. Another reason to start earlier. - Course map didn't match actual course.
B. A. from New York (2/7/2017) "Solid option to check Africa off your list" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 For comparison have run: Amsterdam, Boston, Buenos Aires, New York, Ottawa, Reykjavik, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna. Pros: - Small field (<1,000) means lots of space after 1k. - Smooth road surface (a handful of potholes in 42.2k). - Bottled water (every 5k) eliminates gastrointestinal concerns about possible public water sources. - Much of the course is scenic (with, as noted below, a small percentage of industrial and impoverished areas). First 12.5k especially quiet with limited spectators due to early time and closed roads. The olive orchard is beautiful, as are views of Atlas Mountains. Plus, if you have any appreciation of architecture there are lots of wonderful finds. - Flat and fast, with many km on straight roads. - Enthusiastic spectators when present. There are long stretches with no one on the curb, but when you pass people they are encouraging. - Lots of hotels within 4-5 minute walk of start/finish. Most riads, the more traditional lodging, are far less expensive although they may require a taxi ride (also inexpensive). - Outdoor expo! Several vendors offering local arts and crafts plus tents for other races in Morocco and Africa. Cons: - No sport drink on course. This could be dangerous considering temperatures from 30s at start into mid-60s by late morning, and low humidity throughout. Strongly advise bottle or fuel belt to replenish electrolytes and salts, with race-provided bottled water at 5k. If race officials moved start to 730a (a few minutes after sunrise) it would provide a much-welcomed 30 minutes of running in cooler temperatures. Especially days such as 2017, with zero clouds and full sun. - No portable toilets at start/finish or on course. One at each 5k mark would suffice. - Limited course markings. Signs indicate 3k, 5k and then every 2.5k afterward. Did not wear GPS watch but a few of these seemed long/short. If you rely on pace wrist bands for Boston qualifying or PB/PR tracking, then use an online pace calculator to make your own using 3k, 5k, 7.5k, 10k, 12.5k, 15k, 17.5k, 21.1k, 22.5k, 25k, 27.5k, 30k, 32.5k, 35k, 37.5k, 40k. - Need to run tangents on curvy roads. There are two stretches in particular, just after midway and then ~25-30k stretch, where the roads curve repeatedly. If you know how to run tangents (on a straight line to the inside of each turn) you will not lose much distance. It's simple to do but most people stay on one side of the road and run considerably longer than 42.2k. - Congestion when running with half-marathon field. The full started 8a, half at 830a. There were two sections (other than the last few hundred meters before finish) where the fields run together. Both become congested and likely most/all half runners will pass you. - No shirt/jacket/souvenir availability at expo when I picked up number Friday. Lots of potential revenue lost, even if the clothing did not have a specific race year on it. - No course photography. There is a stretch between 25-30k passing clusters of camels. The website had two photos of runners passing them but no photographers shooting in those spots during the race. I don't buy race photos but would have bought one of those without hesitation. Again, lots of potential revenue lost.
A. M. from USA (2/1/2017) "Strange Marathon" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Well, it is a strange Marathon. It is not even clear who organizes it - Moroccans or French. Their website is extremely primitive. There is practically no Expo other than a table with a couple of volunteers who give you your bib but can't answer even a simple question. There are no sport drinks on the course, just water every 5 km which is quite dangerous in a warm and dry desert climate with a high body loss of sodium. At the finish you get water, one banana and two mandarins. I wonder where the registration fee of 70 Euro goes. On a positive note, those attending the water stations at the course are fantastic providing runners with delicious mandarins and dates. Very often when they see an exhausted runner, they will actually peel the mandarins for you. About half of the course sees no spectators but if you run in silence through olive fields with majestic Atlas Mountains in full view, it's spectacular. At other times, closer to the end, you are on major roads competing with cars and trucks, breathing their noxious fumes, and that's not great at all. The best part of this Marathon is spectators - both adults and lots of children lining the course and cheering runners so warmly and passionately. If you decide to run this Marathon, make sure you give high-5 to every kid you can reach. And of course ask another runner to shoot a photo of you with camels around the 30 km mark.
T. C. from London, England (3/26/2016) "Definitely one to do for experience(s) & adventure" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Enjoyed the race and I mirror most of the comments / sentiments from previous runners. Regarding the loos (porta-potties:), there are sections along the route with restaurants and hotels. I pulled over at a restaurant (after ~20km) and asked to use their facilities. They were very obliging. I was one of the slower ones towards the back (finished in ~5:15). They opened the roads after about 4 hours which did make thinks 'interesting' in the last ~10k. I was close to one of the support vehicles which definitely helped, but I did wonder about runners further back with no obvious escort. (Note: Major road junctions were policed and traffic was held back if needed.)
J. S. from Worcester, England (2/2/2016) "Improving every year" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Marathon de Marrakechs COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I have now run this marathon six times - the people of the wonderful city of Marrakesh, the truly inspiring scenery (and the weather) makes a great winter break. In that time, the organization of the event has improved beyond recognition. I found the fact that the full and half marathons finished simultaneously this year made for a far better experience at the end of the race than last year, which was a bit flat (and water-less). The only criticism I could make is that 32.5 to 40Km is a long way between water stops at the end of the race. Could also do with more markers in this area. Otherwise this was by far the most enjoyable running of this race that I have make. Very well done to the organizers and marshals who were fantastic on the day at the water and sponge station.
M. B. from Nederland (2/23/2014) "Excellent" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I had an excellent time. I registered with a French tourism agency, which gave me accurate directions during the pre-race activities, booked a very nice hotel at good price and also included a t-shirt for running. During the race, water, clementines and raisins were available every 5 km. Spectators were not too many but very warm and ready to motivate runners. Only one small remark, the marathon and half marathon finished at the same time making the crossing of the line a bit chaotic; price was slightly high (70euro + 4euro of registration fee). Besides the marathon, Marrakech and Morroco are nice city/country that absolutely worth visiting. I totally recommend this marathon!
Z. S. from Madrid, España (2/14/2014) "Beautiful, Exotic, Not Always Comfortable" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The city of Marrakech was beautiful, exotic, and sometimes frighteningly different from my North American/ European normal. In many ways, I suppose this could also be said for the race, but at the same time, I left feeling pretty indifferent about the race. I´ll probably go back to Marrakech someday, but would almost certainly not run this one again. The race is organized by a French company and probably about 90% of the marathon runners are Europeans (seemed like more locals in the half though). Maybe it´s just me, but I think there´s something ´je ne sais que´ about running in a truly local race to get to know the city and culture, which this doesn´t really have in that sense. That said, aside from a rather anemic expo and website, the organization of the event is overall pretty good. And I should probably be careful what I wished for, as Moroccan organizer probably wouldn´t have been in tune with cultural differences. It´s a very good sized race in that it´s big enough to close streets and draw crowds, but it´s never too crowded and you´re never running completely by yourself (which I very much appreciated in some of the seedier areas). I´ve never seen so much course security/ traffic control at a race, which was great, and I very much prefer my race fees going to that rather most of the things people have complained about, as the chaos of regular traffic here really can´t be fully described in words. Shirt and medal are ok, on the cheaper side but not junk. Water bottles every 5k on the course along with whole oranges and little baggies of raisins/ dates, no gels or sports drinks but I was surprised to find that I preferred it this way. More oranges and water at the finish, but that was it. Should mention that morroqui oranges are by far the best oranges I´ve ever eaten, so perhaps there´s a consolation there. Parts of the course are stunningly beautiful& start/finish along the manicured parks and tiled sidewalks of new city, olive groves, around the club med/ golf course; the palm and fruit trees plus the Atlas mountains in the background. However, other parts of the course run through slums&. Neighborhoods of shantytowns built atop landfills, children by the side of the road begging for your extra clothes or half drank water bottles, the nauseating stench of tannery run-off water and raw sewage. At times I felt so awkward and guilty, jogging with a pack of other rich French and German tourists behind our police escort, while being watched by crowds of confused Morroquis who´s annual income is probably what I pay for a pair of running shoes. I would not encourage woman to run this race for a number of reasons: 1) Although Morocco much more liberal than most arab countries, Euro/ North American women will still probably feel a bit uncomfortable with some of the extra attention they get from local spectators, 2) there are no port-a-potties anywhere (start, course, finish) and very few good privacy options which means you´ll be squatting in front of crowds if nature calls. There seemed to be a few local women running (I believe I counted 2), so not 0, but rare. Another quirk to the no toilets situation is that between the dryness, altitude, and undrinkable tap water of town, proper hydration before the race has some challenges most won´t be used to. So, there´s some guess work involved (don´t drink too much, don´t drink too little). Also, there´s a lot of interesting new foods in Morroco, as well as some questionable food safety practices, which increases the risk of shall we way, gastronomical issues during the race. I feared the worst when I my stomach started to feel heavy mid-race, and envisioned having to squat down by the side of the road to do my business while being watched by Moroccan famiies, but thankfully it never came to be.
M. V. from England (2/9/2014) "Eclectic mixture of rural and urban landscape" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This is a relatively low key international marathon with only a total of 852 runners going the full 26.2 miles in 2014. Pro's - Great early start 8am. Nice to feel the chill of the early morning for the first half before the heat of the sun in the second half. Lovely run through the olive groves looking out towards the snow capped Atlas mountains in the first few K's. Most crowd between 15 - 25k then back out in the rural outskirts for 6/7k before swinging back into the city for the final 10K. Where there were spectators on the course all were very enthusiastic/encouraging. Long parts of the course were spectator free which I personally found (surprisingly) very comforting as the huge crowds in some big city marathons can be so loud it becomes overpowering. Water/sponge stations well manned. Police did a great job marshalling traffic and runners were given absolute priority at all junctions. Excellent smooth tarmac surfaces and plenty of your own space to run in at your own pace. Cons: Finish. The half marathon (4000 runners) that starts at 9.15am finishes in the same place as the marathon. The runners filter in to run the last 200 metres with those that go the full distance. This takes the shine/glory off your run in, in the final stretch. As I finished in 3.30 I had all the 2.15 half marathoners running across me as I was finishing - not really a problem, just annoying. Would be much better with separate finishes. The split times were recorded at bizarre places. I can only deduce from looking at my official time these were taken at 7.5k, 17.5k and 32.5K. Could also do with some sports drink feed stations. Overall a really enjoyable race and I would thoroughly recommend it.
C. B. from New York (2/3/2014) "A good choice for a destination marathon" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Marathon de Marrakech is a good choice for destination marathon. One should go with the reason to visit Marrakech and participate in a race (in that order). This is a beautiful city with interesting things to see and do. The course was outside the old city walls, very flat and had plenty of locals out to cheer you on. The Moroccans were very friendly to both foreigners and women running the races. The support on the course was very good with bottle water, dried fruit and sponges every 5K. The police did an excellent job of traffic control allowing runners to pass through the intersections. However, the start and finish was a bit disorganized and could use the most improvement. I had to run around workers, runners and locals in the last 100m to get to the finish line. The good news is that this is not a marathon major race with 40 thousand runners, and you can sign up the day before the race. There is a lot to be said for small races like this. I would definitely recommend to friends and would run it again.
P. B. from Philadelphia, PA (2/1/2014) "You'll Enjoy Your Marrakech Experience" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a fine marathon. I've run dozens of marathons on six continents and I would recommend Marrakech without hesitation. The marathon coordination and support meet all reasonable standards, the course is extremely flat, and the spectators are wonderful. Marrakech is a great destination marathon. My girlfriend and I ran this marathon and before the race we wondered whether there would be many women runners and should women feel the need to be well covered during the run. It turned out there were a lot of women runners and short sleeves and shorts for women were common and seemed acceptable. There are many hotels very close to the start/finish line and of any marathon Ive run that had several thousand participants or more, Marrakech was the easiest marathon to walk to and from. Add in trips to the old city and the Atlas Mountains to your marathon experience and Im guessing that chances are excellent that youll really enjoy this one.

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D. L. from NY (2/5/2020) "Palm Groves, Mountains, Olive Groves & Motorbikes" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Registration and Expo Pros: - Multiple web sites are available for registration for regional users - Many friendly experienced staff are available at the expo - Plenty of porta-potties at the start with water and bananas for sale - Cool older race T-shirts for sale. Arrive very early as they run out fast! Cons: - Multiple web sites are available for registration and can be confusing. It appears https://www.marathon-marrakech.com/ and https://marathonmarrakech.ma/ are jointly managed, while another group seems to manage https://marrakechmarathon.com/ Expect a PayPal receipt from the former site with no reference to the event, and email responses may be delayed. The staff at the latter site are very punctual and informative, but help is limited if you did not register with this group. - Many friendly experienced staff are available at the expo and had insufficient resources. Three to four people at each of three designated bib pick up tents shared one laptop each. After being directed to 'the other tent' several times, we collectively discovered that not all of the bibs or t-shirts had yet arrived. Once delivered in a few hours all was well. Bring your printed bib number and confirm surname is accurate! The Course and Finish Pros: - Separate start for the 42K and 21K, so absence of corrals among 1000 people is not essential. - Bottled water and wet sponges were plentiful - Mostly scenic course with views of the mountains, palm and olive groves and acres of country club enclaves under construction. - Enthusiastic spectators during the first and final 5K. The intervening 22K allowed for reasonable privacy for elimination in the absence of porta-potties along the entire course. BYO T.P. - Nice morning racing temperatures. As previously mentioned in another review, an earlier start would make for a less intense sunny warm slog to the finish line. - Dates and unpeeled oranges are provided at many aid stations. Otherwise BYO sweets. - Enthusiastic 21K runners flood the course at about Mile 9. The deluge is energetic as it is perilous. - Nice finisher's medal and compact finish nutrition bag are provided. Cons - Run a 3-hour marathon if you wish to attend the award ceremony. - Closure of some aid stations and police course support thinned after 3 hours. Run smart especially the last 10K. - Motor scooter smog is nearly constant after the first hour. Another reason to start earlier. - Course map didn't match actual course.
B. A. from New York (2/7/2017) "Solid option to check Africa off your list" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 For comparison have run: Amsterdam, Boston, Buenos Aires, New York, Ottawa, Reykjavik, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna. Pros: - Small field (<1,000) means lots of space after 1k. - Smooth road surface (a handful of potholes in 42.2k). - Bottled water (every 5k) eliminates gastrointestinal concerns about possible public water sources. - Much of the course is scenic (with, as noted below, a small percentage of industrial and impoverished areas). First 12.5k especially quiet with limited spectators due to early time and closed roads. The olive orchard is beautiful, as are views of Atlas Mountains. Plus, if you have any appreciation of architecture there are lots of wonderful finds. - Flat and fast, with many km on straight roads. - Enthusiastic spectators when present. There are long stretches with no one on the curb, but when you pass people they are encouraging. - Lots of hotels within 4-5 minute walk of start/finish. Most riads, the more traditional lodging, are far less expensive although they may require a taxi ride (also inexpensive). - Outdoor expo! Several vendors offering local arts and crafts plus tents for other races in Morocco and Africa. Cons: - No sport drink on course. This could be dangerous considering temperatures from 30s at start into mid-60s by late morning, and low humidity throughout. Strongly advise bottle or fuel belt to replenish electrolytes and salts, with race-provided bottled water at 5k. If race officials moved start to 730a (a few minutes after sunrise) it would provide a much-welcomed 30 minutes of running in cooler temperatures. Especially days such as 2017, with zero clouds and full sun. - No portable toilets at start/finish or on course. One at each 5k mark would suffice. - Limited course markings. Signs indicate 3k, 5k and then every 2.5k afterward. Did not wear GPS watch but a few of these seemed long/short. If you rely on pace wrist bands for Boston qualifying or PB/PR tracking, then use an online pace calculator to make your own using 3k, 5k, 7.5k, 10k, 12.5k, 15k, 17.5k, 21.1k, 22.5k, 25k, 27.5k, 30k, 32.5k, 35k, 37.5k, 40k. - Need to run tangents on curvy roads. There are two stretches in particular, just after midway and then ~25-30k stretch, where the roads curve repeatedly. If you know how to run tangents (on a straight line to the inside of each turn) you will not lose much distance. It's simple to do but most people stay on one side of the road and run considerably longer than 42.2k. - Congestion when running with half-marathon field. The full started 8a, half at 830a. There were two sections (other than the last few hundred meters before finish) where the fields run together. Both become congested and likely most/all half runners will pass you. - No shirt/jacket/souvenir availability at expo when I picked up number Friday. Lots of potential revenue lost, even if the clothing did not have a specific race year on it. - No course photography. There is a stretch between 25-30k passing clusters of camels. The website had two photos of runners passing them but no photographers shooting in those spots during the race. I don't buy race photos but would have bought one of those without hesitation. Again, lots of potential revenue lost.
A. M. from USA (2/1/2017) "Strange Marathon" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Well, it is a strange Marathon. It is not even clear who organizes it - Moroccans or French. Their website is extremely primitive. There is practically no Expo other than a table with a couple of volunteers who give you your bib but can't answer even a simple question. There are no sport drinks on the course, just water every 5 km which is quite dangerous in a warm and dry desert climate with a high body loss of sodium. At the finish you get water, one banana and two mandarins. I wonder where the registration fee of 70 Euro goes. On a positive note, those attending the water stations at the course are fantastic providing runners with delicious mandarins and dates. Very often when they see an exhausted runner, they will actually peel the mandarins for you. About half of the course sees no spectators but if you run in silence through olive fields with majestic Atlas Mountains in full view, it's spectacular. At other times, closer to the end, you are on major roads competing with cars and trucks, breathing their noxious fumes, and that's not great at all. The best part of this Marathon is spectators - both adults and lots of children lining the course and cheering runners so warmly and passionately. If you decide to run this Marathon, make sure you give high-5 to every kid you can reach. And of course ask another runner to shoot a photo of you with camels around the 30 km mark.
T. C. from London, England (3/26/2016) "Definitely one to do for experience(s) & adventure" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Enjoyed the race and I mirror most of the comments / sentiments from previous runners. Regarding the loos (porta-potties:), there are sections along the route with restaurants and hotels. I pulled over at a restaurant (after ~20km) and asked to use their facilities. They were very obliging. I was one of the slower ones towards the back (finished in ~5:15). They opened the roads after about 4 hours which did make thinks 'interesting' in the last ~10k. I was close to one of the support vehicles which definitely helped, but I did wonder about runners further back with no obvious escort. (Note: Major road junctions were policed and traffic was held back if needed.)
J. S. from Worcester, England (2/2/2016) "Improving every year" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Marathon de Marrakechs COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I have now run this marathon six times - the people of the wonderful city of Marrakesh, the truly inspiring scenery (and the weather) makes a great winter break. In that time, the organization of the event has improved beyond recognition. I found the fact that the full and half marathons finished simultaneously this year made for a far better experience at the end of the race than last year, which was a bit flat (and water-less). The only criticism I could make is that 32.5 to 40Km is a long way between water stops at the end of the race. Could also do with more markers in this area. Otherwise this was by far the most enjoyable running of this race that I have make. Very well done to the organizers and marshals who were fantastic on the day at the water and sponge station.
M. B. from Nederland (2/23/2014) "Excellent" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I had an excellent time. I registered with a French tourism agency, which gave me accurate directions during the pre-race activities, booked a very nice hotel at good price and also included a t-shirt for running. During the race, water, clementines and raisins were available every 5 km. Spectators were not too many but very warm and ready to motivate runners. Only one small remark, the marathon and half marathon finished at the same time making the crossing of the line a bit chaotic; price was slightly high (70euro + 4euro of registration fee). Besides the marathon, Marrakech and Morroco are nice city/country that absolutely worth visiting. I totally recommend this marathon!
Z. S. from Madrid, España (2/14/2014) "Beautiful, Exotic, Not Always Comfortable" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The city of Marrakech was beautiful, exotic, and sometimes frighteningly different from my North American/ European normal. In many ways, I suppose this could also be said for the race, but at the same time, I left feeling pretty indifferent about the race. I´ll probably go back to Marrakech someday, but would almost certainly not run this one again. The race is organized by a French company and probably about 90% of the marathon runners are Europeans (seemed like more locals in the half though). Maybe it´s just me, but I think there´s something ´je ne sais que´ about running in a truly local race to get to know the city and culture, which this doesn´t really have in that sense. That said, aside from a rather anemic expo and website, the organization of the event is overall pretty good. And I should probably be careful what I wished for, as Moroccan organizer probably wouldn´t have been in tune with cultural differences. It´s a very good sized race in that it´s big enough to close streets and draw crowds, but it´s never too crowded and you´re never running completely by yourself (which I very much appreciated in some of the seedier areas). I´ve never seen so much course security/ traffic control at a race, which was great, and I very much prefer my race fees going to that rather most of the things people have complained about, as the chaos of regular traffic here really can´t be fully described in words. Shirt and medal are ok, on the cheaper side but not junk. Water bottles every 5k on the course along with whole oranges and little baggies of raisins/ dates, no gels or sports drinks but I was surprised to find that I preferred it this way. More oranges and water at the finish, but that was it. Should mention that morroqui oranges are by far the best oranges I´ve ever eaten, so perhaps there´s a consolation there. Parts of the course are stunningly beautiful& start/finish along the manicured parks and tiled sidewalks of new city, olive groves, around the club med/ golf course; the palm and fruit trees plus the Atlas mountains in the background. However, other parts of the course run through slums&. Neighborhoods of shantytowns built atop landfills, children by the side of the road begging for your extra clothes or half drank water bottles, the nauseating stench of tannery run-off water and raw sewage. At times I felt so awkward and guilty, jogging with a pack of other rich French and German tourists behind our police escort, while being watched by crowds of confused Morroquis who´s annual income is probably what I pay for a pair of running shoes. I would not encourage woman to run this race for a number of reasons: 1) Although Morocco much more liberal than most arab countries, Euro/ North American women will still probably feel a bit uncomfortable with some of the extra attention they get from local spectators, 2) there are no port-a-potties anywhere (start, course, finish) and very few good privacy options which means you´ll be squatting in front of crowds if nature calls. There seemed to be a few local women running (I believe I counted 2), so not 0, but rare. Another quirk to the no toilets situation is that between the dryness, altitude, and undrinkable tap water of town, proper hydration before the race has some challenges most won´t be used to. So, there´s some guess work involved (don´t drink too much, don´t drink too little). Also, there´s a lot of interesting new foods in Morroco, as well as some questionable food safety practices, which increases the risk of shall we way, gastronomical issues during the race. I feared the worst when I my stomach started to feel heavy mid-race, and envisioned having to squat down by the side of the road to do my business while being watched by Moroccan famiies, but thankfully it never came to be.
M. V. from England (2/9/2014) "Eclectic mixture of rural and urban landscape" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This is a relatively low key international marathon with only a total of 852 runners going the full 26.2 miles in 2014. Pro's - Great early start 8am. Nice to feel the chill of the early morning for the first half before the heat of the sun in the second half. Lovely run through the olive groves looking out towards the snow capped Atlas mountains in the first few K's. Most crowd between 15 - 25k then back out in the rural outskirts for 6/7k before swinging back into the city for the final 10K. Where there were spectators on the course all were very enthusiastic/encouraging. Long parts of the course were spectator free which I personally found (surprisingly) very comforting as the huge crowds in some big city marathons can be so loud it becomes overpowering. Water/sponge stations well manned. Police did a great job marshalling traffic and runners were given absolute priority at all junctions. Excellent smooth tarmac surfaces and plenty of your own space to run in at your own pace. Cons: Finish. The half marathon (4000 runners) that starts at 9.15am finishes in the same place as the marathon. The runners filter in to run the last 200 metres with those that go the full distance. This takes the shine/glory off your run in, in the final stretch. As I finished in 3.30 I had all the 2.15 half marathoners running across me as I was finishing - not really a problem, just annoying. Would be much better with separate finishes. The split times were recorded at bizarre places. I can only deduce from looking at my official time these were taken at 7.5k, 17.5k and 32.5K. Could also do with some sports drink feed stations. Overall a really enjoyable race and I would thoroughly recommend it.
C. B. from New York (2/3/2014) "A good choice for a destination marathon" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Marathon de Marrakech is a good choice for destination marathon. One should go with the reason to visit Marrakech and participate in a race (in that order). This is a beautiful city with interesting things to see and do. The course was outside the old city walls, very flat and had plenty of locals out to cheer you on. The Moroccans were very friendly to both foreigners and women running the races. The support on the course was very good with bottle water, dried fruit and sponges every 5K. The police did an excellent job of traffic control allowing runners to pass through the intersections. However, the start and finish was a bit disorganized and could use the most improvement. I had to run around workers, runners and locals in the last 100m to get to the finish line. The good news is that this is not a marathon major race with 40 thousand runners, and you can sign up the day before the race. There is a lot to be said for small races like this. I would definitely recommend to friends and would run it again.
P. B. from Philadelphia, PA (2/1/2014) "You'll Enjoy Your Marrakech Experience" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon de Marrakech COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a fine marathon. I've run dozens of marathons on six continents and I would recommend Marrakech without hesitation. The marathon coordination and support meet all reasonable standards, the course is extremely flat, and the spectators are wonderful. Marrakech is a great destination marathon. My girlfriend and I ran this marathon and before the race we wondered whether there would be many women runners and should women feel the need to be well covered during the run. It turned out there were a lot of women runners and short sleeves and shorts for women were common and seemed acceptable. There are many hotels very close to the start/finish line and of any marathon Ive run that had several thousand participants or more, Marrakech was the easiest marathon to walk to and from. Add in trips to the old city and the Atlas Mountains to your marathon experience and Im guessing that chances are excellent that youll really enjoy this one.

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Marathon Details - Marathon de Marrakech