Marathon des Sables Atlantic Coast 120km

At the end of January 2026, the Atlantic coast of southern Morocco hosted a new edition of the Marathon des Sables Atlantic Coast, a 120 km ultra-endurance race held between ocean and desert. In this raw and isolated environment, where sand, wind and heat shape every stage, runners experience far more than a competition: it is a profound human adventure.

At the heart of this demanding event, Bénédicte Jonqua and Guillaume Droz-Bartholet, podiatrists, joined the medical team composed of around twenty volunteers mobilized throughout the event. They were the only podiatrists present during the race, playing an essential role in the care of the participants.

Preparation and setup of the medical clinic

Before entering the desert, runners were welcomed at a hotel on the Moroccan coast for pre-race consultations, prevention advice and preparation of the medical equipment.

Ahead of the participants’ arrival at the bivouac, a team of eight medical volunteers – the “orange vests” – including Guillaume Droz-Bartholet, arrived on site to set up the field clinic:

• installation of treatment beds

• inventory of medical supplies and instruments

• preparation of emergency intervention kits

• installation of medical equipment

• organization of the different areas (foot care area, unstable patients area, shock room, cooling pool, transfer zone and storage).

A field clinic serving the runners

For 4 days and 4 nights, nearly 250 runners were monitored throughout the course:

• at the check-points

• at the bivouac

• sometimes directly on the sandy trails

• and even accompanying the last competitors to the next medical team.

Each evening, under the bivouac tents set up between the ocean and the desert, a true field medical clinic came to life.

In addition to their specific roles, the two podiatrists provided comprehensive foot care, treating everything from simple blisters to more complex injuries, including subungual hematomas and pain caused by prolonged effort, sand and challenging climatic conditions.

Key figures from the race:

• 168 runners treated in the clinic (68%)

• 348 medical consultations

• 250 blister treatments performed

The two podiatrists also trained the doctors and nurses of the medical team in blister management, strengthening collaboration and solidarity within the medical support team.

Complementary roles in support of the athletes

Bénédicte Jonqua mainly performed strapping and kinesio taping to relieve musculo-tendinous pain and help runners continue the race despite fatigue and physical strain.

Guillaume Droz-Bartholet treated the most severe wounds requiring sterile dressings. He was also designated Orange Squad, covering the course on foot and running in the opposite direction of the race with a first-aid kit, GPS beacon and walkie-talkie, monitoring the runners’ condition and identifying signs of medical distress, exhaustion or discouragement.

After the effort

After the race, the medical commitment continued at the hotel with a clinic dedicated to post-race care, in an atmosphere mixing fatigue, relief, pride and emotion.

The Marathon des Sables Atlantic Coast is a unique experience: exhausted faces turned toward the ocean, shared silences in the desert and simple yet essential gestures of care. It is an adventure where one provides care, but also receives as much as one gives.

This participation perfectly illustrates the values of commitment, humanity and teamwork promoted by the Swiss Medical Network group, as well as by Clinique de Montchoisi and Clinique de Genolier.

What follows

The next step for our two podiatrists will take place at the Marathon des Sables Cappadocia in June, where Guillaume Droz-Bartholet will act as lead podiatrist, while Bénédicte Jonqua will also participate in the race as a runner.

Further medical missions are already planned for future editions of the Marathon des Sables, notably in Peru, Jordan and Namibia.

More information about the race