Maryline Nakache, traileuse from team Cimalp at the Marathon des Sables

05 Apr. 2023

Maryline Nakache, traileuse de la team Cimalp au Marathon des Sables

Marathon des Sables 2023 - Maryline Nakache, on the list of favourites!

The 37th Marathon des Sables will take place from 21 April to 1 May in the heart of the Moroccan Sahara. French long trail champion 2018, Maryline Nakache, will be taking the start of this iconic race for the very first time. Among the favourites for this 2023 edition, the Cimalp team traileuse is thrilled to experience this extraordinary new adventure! 250 km in 7 days — that's what awaits the participants of the Marathon des Sables. This legendary race is built on solidarity and fellowship, with runners raising funds for charitable organisations in their home countries.

A remarkable human adventure

In numbers, the MDS is:

25,000 participants since 1986
50 nationalities
162,000 liters of water
590 volunteers
515 Berber and Saharan tents

An event of exceptional scale that is above all a remarkable human adventure to share. And that's exactly what Cimalp team traileuse Maryline Nakache — French long trail champion 2018 — came looking for.

Maryline Nakache, a passionate athlete

Marathon des Sables 2023 - Maryline Nakache

Photos ©By Sochhhh_UTAT

She had told her main partner Cimalp, as one of her 2023 goals: "I'm going to take on the Marathon des Sables". And when Maryline Nakache sets her mind on something, she sticks to it! This engineer and PhD in materials science is above all driven by enjoyment, travel, discovery, and pushing her limits in trail running. "I'm passionate about outdoor sport and adventure. I've been doing trail for a few years, specialising more on long distances, though I love varying terrain types and taking on new challenges, sometimes even on shorter formats." Personal challenges in the spirit of the full-time Van Life the athlete recently embraced. An opportunity for Maryline to get closer to what she loves most: "freedom, wild nature and the mountains… What a joy to reach summits under my own power!" Maryline Nakache, a passionate athlete

The MDS, a long-held dream

Maryline Nakache is eager to experience this adventure in the southern Moroccan desert offered by the Marathon des Sables. This is her first time at the MDS. She has already travelled Morocco at the Ultra Trail Atlas Toubkal, but the MDS presents a new environment for the experienced traileuse. Even if this race will likely hold surprises and uncertainties, Maryline is well-prepared: "When I'm not running, I go trekking, multi-day cycling routes, or ski touring in winter." And her track record speaks volumes about the determination that drives her: