Moroccan runners Lahcen and Mohamad Ahansal, born to a nomadic family near Zagora in the Sahara desert, have dominated the gruelling Marathon des Sables (MdS) ultramarathon for two decades. Lahcen has 10 victories to his name, while younger brother Mohamad (who is currently in training for the 2015 race) has five.
The pair are also busy helping to organise the third edition of the Trans Atlas Marathon, a 180-mile six-stage ultramarathon through the High Atlas mountains south of Marrakech. With a cumulative height gain of 14,000 metres and a vertical two kilometre climb to an altitude of 3,200m on the final stage, the TAM promises to be a truly tough race.
How did you get in to running?
Lahcen: I started running as soon as I could walk. I started running properly while I was at school, and I would run there and back. After I saw the MdS come through Zagora, I was obsessed.
What’s your favourite memory from all the MdS races you’ve run?
Mohamad: My first victory in 1998 – plus being decorated by King Mohammed V two years later.
Lahcen: My best moment was the 10th time I ran the MdS – I won, and my first child was born during the race.
What’s the best thing about running?
Lahcen: Running is life. To run in good health is the best thing. We forget how lucky we are when we are healthy.
Mohamad: The atmosphere of the race.
When someone asks you for a training tip, what do you tell them?
Lahcen: Start running as young as possible and run a lot. Run in beautiful natural places as much as possible.
What’s the furthest you’ve ever run in a week?
Mohamad: I covered 380km one week.
Lahcen: The most in one day non-stop was 100km non-stop. In my longest training week for the MdS I ran 280km.
What do you eat on the morning of a long run?
Lahcen: I eat pasta, couscous and dried fruit.
Mohamad: For me, a can of dates or khobz chahma [a Berber stuffed bread]. On the MdS I eat dates, dried fruit, pasta, rice, sellou [a dessert of nuts and spices ground to a fine powder] and dried meat.
Do you ever run to music?
Lahcen: I train to music sometimes – but not often. I listen to anything which feels like it is in sync with my body as I run: Moroccan music, international pop, Raï, and Berber music too.
Mohamad: I never run to music – I feel closer to nature without it.
Have you ever run barefoot?
Lahcen: When I was a boy we didn’t have money for shoes and I ran a lot without them. As an adult runner I haven’t run any races barefoot – but I sometimes train barefoot in the sand of the desert.
Do you use any running gadgets?
Lahcen: Not really. But I wear gaiters for running in the sand, and I will use a GPS when necessary.
What’s your post-race indulgence?
Lahcen: Sleep. I don’t really fantasise about food or drink. Sleep is the best!
How did you get the idea for the Trans Atlas Marathon?
Mohamad: After I’d participated in the mountain races like the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) [in the Alps] and the Diagonale des Fous [on Réunion], I asked myself why the Moroccan Atlas did not have a similar trail race. When I completed a mountain guide course in the High Atlas I crossed the range from north to south, and it occurred to me that we must organise a race here, as the course is so incredibly beautiful.
The Trans Atlas Marathon takes place from 18 to 23 May 2015 in the mountains south of Marrakech. Competitors run with small packs containing food and equipment for each day, while overnight bags are transported to mountain hostels, which also provide a simple breakfast and evening meal.
