Baseline & plan
We map your starting point and build a timeline to the race, matched to your schedule.
Marathon des Sables · Coaching
To the finish of the world's toughest desert race.
The Marathon des Sables is 270 kilometres across the Sahara, self-sufficient, in brutal heat. I finished it myself. And the man next to me in the photo had never run a long distance a year earlier. We crossed the line together.
Ready to take on the MDS or another ultra? I prepare you from the very first step to the start line, safely and at your own pace.
Patrick and Jeremy · MDS finishers
What he can do, you can do too. It starts with an honest plan and the will to keep going.Patrick, on the preparation
270 kmtotal across the Sahara
100 kmlongest stage
12 monthsfrom first step to finish
I know the race from the inside and prepare you for everything the desert asks: the running, the terrain, the heat and your mind.
What the race asks of you
Not your average marathon.
The MDS is one of the toughest events in the world. Here's what you meet out there, and what we train for together.
01
Distance in extreme heat
270 kilometres over six stages, in temperatures well above 40 degrees. Your body has to learn to perform and recover in the desert. We prepare you for exactly that.
02
Self-sufficient over rough terrain
You carry your own food and kit through sand, over rocks and dunes. Every gram counts and your feet take a beating. Kit and foot care are not an afterthought.
03
The mental race
The MDS isn't run with your legs alone but above all with your head. Preparing for the hard moments matters as much as the kilometres themselves.
The preparation
From the first step to the start line.
A complete, tailored programme built around your life and work.
Build-up & heat
Calm, safe build-up of your endurance, with specific heat acclimatisation towards the race.
Kit & nutrition
Detailed advice on shoes, pack, gaiters and nutrition. Everything tested before you reach the start.
Race simulation
Long back-to-back days and full rehearsals, so the desert holds no surprises.
The package
MDS Preparation, from start to finish.
Special package
MDS Preparation
€3.000 / complete package
- Weekly digital check-ins, six months long
- A complete, tailored training programme
- Detailed kit advice for the race
Ask via WhatsApp
For those ready to take on a big challenge. Limited number of places each year, ask about availability.
Free download
My complete MDS packing list, down to the gram.
The full list I carried myself, with the weight of every item next to it: the mandatory kit, my clothing and sleep gear, and exactly what I ate each day. So you forget nothing and carry nothing you don't need.
- The official mandatory kit, clearly laid out
- Every item weighed — 10.69 kilos on your back all in
- My food per day: 864 grams, 4,169.8 kcal, product by product
- The small things nobody tells you beforehand
Frequently asked
Good to know.
No. The man I brought to the MDS finish had never run a long distance a year earlier. If you're healthy and have the will to keep going, we build the rest together.
Ideally six to twelve months before the race. The earlier we start, the more calmly and safely I can build you up. Get in touch to talk through your timeline.
Yes. The programme is built around your week, not the other way round. You do most of the preparation independently, with weekly check-ins so you always know what's next.
Ready for the desert?
Start your preparation.
Send me a message on WhatsApp or grab my packing list first. No obligation, just a good conversation about your race.