Intro:

Rachid El Morabity continued to lead the Marathon des Sables on Wednesday (8th April) as the field set off from the Jebel Zireg for the longest stage in the history of the race at 91.7 kilometres.

Script:

The 1267 remaining competitors in the Marathon des Sables set out on the longest stage in the race's history.

With 62 retiring since the start of the event in the south-Moroccan Sahara, the remainder started the fourth leg, and they were allowed 36 hours to complete the 91.7-kilometre stage.

Two days after having scaled the legendary Jebel El Otfal, the competitors will face it again but in the opposite direction.

The field will also pass along the foot of the Ba Halou ruins, the origin of which dates back to the Romans and, according to the locals, is inhabited by ghosts.

Many of the runners will arrive under the cover of darkness, guided by the starry skies of the desert and by their unwavering faith.

Some will prefer to stop off at a checkpoint and rest for a few hours before benefiting from the early hours of the morning.

The top 50 men and top five women set out in late morning, three hours after the majority of the field.

In the past, this mammoth stage has shaken up the general classification but Moroccan Rachid El Morabity and Swede Elisabet Barnes led the men's and women's fields as they looked to maintain their respective unbeaten records in this year's race.