The Morocco Desert Challenge:
the second biggest rally-raid in the world
A brief introduction to this unique cross country rally.
A brief introduction to this unique cross country rally.
Since 2008, the Morocco Desert Challenge has been synonymous with adventure, excitement, stunning bivouacs, delicious food, perfect roadbooks, and a great competition. Who could have imagined, when we set off into the Libyan desert with a handful of adventurers so many years ago, that today we would have a field of participants that grows more impressive every year and a crew of passionate volunteers who wouldn't miss this for the world?
The 2025 edition of the MDC will be a very special anniversary edition: we will be heading to our host country Morocco for the 10th time. And we certainly won’t let that go unnoticed. In 2025, we will pull out all the stops for an unprecedented, and above all, unmissable spectacle!
Organising a rally doesn’t start with a financial plan, but with a dream. This dream started more than ten years ago in the south-Libyan desert. The feeling among the racers was good from the very beginning and after a few years, the organisation functioned like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately the political situation was not always easy: diplomatic incidents, wars and financially difficult years didn’t make it easy for us. But thanks to the big moral support of a constantly growing group of participants, we kept on going. Is this not the whole idea behind desert racing: never give up, withstand the hardships, always keep on looking for ways to go further, wherever necessary with the help of your friends?
After Libya and Tunisia we arrived in Morocco in 2013. This new host country –a safe haven with a good infrastructure- allowed us to expand the rally to its current size: Africa’s biggest and most beautiful cross-country rally-raid, with more than 1000 participants (racers & mechanics), a large organisation team of 200 people, perfect roadbooks, navigation with the GPS Unik by ERTF and –with 3 helicopters & the Iritrack system- safety is a main priority.
And yet, despite the high level of the race, there’s still a big difference with the FIA/FIM races and the world’s largest rally. Team spirit and camaraderie are values which are extremely important to us. It’s the amateurs and hobby riders who made our rally big and the atmosphere that comes with it, these are things we would like to keep.
Becoming the fastest growing rally-raid in the world, is not something which happens overnight. It’s something you have to deserve! Every edition has to be different, renewing and better. Since 2016 we offer the “coast to coast” route, crossing nearly the entire country; every day a new scenery and in 2017 we introduced the “0” (zero) KM liaison concept, unique in the world of rally-raid.
Yes, our 10 years' anniversary in 2018 meant "a lot of fiesta”. And we like to continue that: we guarantee you a spectacle on the racetrack, but also every night in the bivouac. Needless to say we will not reveal all the details yet, but I do promise you that also the 15th edition of our rally-raid will be an unforgettable one. All the extra's (the cosy bar, the lovely bar-ladies, the parties, the DJ's, etc.) will continue to be the standard. And so much more ... Again it will be an edition not to miss! Hopefully you'll be part of it!
With sportive regards
Gert Duson
Event organiser
Don't limit your challenges. Challenge your limits.