Leg 4 – Marathon

IDEAL KM 290km

ESTIMATED TIME 18 hrs

It's time for a change of scenery and to head further south.

On the program: more than 290 kilometers on paper, but close to 330 kilometers to cover in complete autonomy.

Two days without mechanical assistance, without refueling, with an improvised bivouac under the stars and a dozen checkpoints to find. A unique leg, where every heading will count.

Things heat up quickly on this first day of the marathon - the first checkpoints are located in a zone known as "Gazelles Hell." Since the map of the area is quite inaccurate, we kept things simple… and erased everything! A little extra challenge for the 35th edition. The Gazelles will be plotting their headings across a large, completely blank area without the slightest indication of topography, terrain, or wadis. They'll have to drive to drive in a straight line, detour around every obstacle, and record each heading and kilometer covered on the map!

Once this journey into the unknown is completed (more or less quickly), the vast plains begin. Immense, seemingly infinite expanses, with long headings requiring attentive navigation. And if the wind picks up, the landscape disappears and landmarks become blurred, making it challenging to stay on course.

Come evening, the atmosphere changes compared to previous nights. The Gazelles enjoy their first night away from the hustle and bustle of the bivouac, punctuated only by the sound of the wind rustling against the tent. A rare moment of calm.

The next day, the adventure resumes.

Day two of this marathon leg. The terrain evolves, transforms. The Hassi Bou Haïara plain reveals a palette of colours: ochre, red, gray, black, sometimes even green. To the east, the landscape offers a harmonious contrast between pinkish cliffs and golden dunes.

On one side, a wadi attracts sand like a magnet. On the other, a landscape of rocky "tajines" and steep slopes. A demanding terrain, ideal for gazelles... but unforgiving for those who lose their bearings.

The challenges are mounting, the obstacles multiplying. It will be necessary to hold on, stay focused, and keep fighting day to advance without veering off course, without making mistakes, and without falling into the traps of a landscape as magnificent as it is formidable.

The routes gradually narrow and converge towards the Tafenna cirque, before reaching the new bivouac at Oulad Driss and its comforts, which will stand in stark contrast with the intensity of these two days of autonomy.

But already, a new leg is looming… with more sand, dust, and other challenges to overcome.