Africa Desert Running Calendar 2020

Africa is home to three of the world’s largest deserts – the Sahara, Namib, and Kalahari, as well as many semi-desert areas. Increasingly, these locations host a wide range of footraces, making Africa the premier international desert running destination.

This calendar highlights the desert footraces to be held in 2020 in various parts of Africa. It consists of two sections. The first section highlights single and multi-stage desert races, while the second section lists various multi-stage (non-desert) trail races.

Africa Desert Races

Zakouma Safari Trail / 160km
9-18 February 2020
Zakouma National Park, Chad
http://le-treg.com/zakouma

Sahara Marathon / 42km
25 February 2020
Algeria
http://www.saharamarathon.org

Tizi N’Trail Run / 71km
27-29 March 2020
Ouarzazate Region, Morocco
http://www.go2events.fr/transmarocaine-tizi-n-trail

Marathon Des Sables / 250km
3-13 April 2020
Morocco
http://www.marathondessables.com

Eco Trail Morocco / 70km
16-18 April 2020
Morocco
http://www.ecotrail.ma

Trail Amizmiz / 95km
18-19 April 2020
Marrakesh, Morocco
https://boutique.trailmaroc.com/6-trail-amizmiz

Safari on the Run® Mapungubwe / 92km
29 April – 3 May 2020
Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, Southern Africa
http://www.wildrun.com/experiences/safari-run%C2%AE-mapungubwe

Trail 2 Teebus / 72km
1-3 May 2020
Steynsburg, South Africa
https://www.trail2teebus.co.za

Klipspringer Challenge / 65km
2-3 May 2020
Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa
https://www.klipspringerchallenge.co.za

Namib Race / 250km
26 April – 2 May 2020
Namibia
https://www.4deserts.com/namibrace

Trans Atlas Marathon / 220km
5-14 June 2020
Morocco
https://www.transatlasmarathon.com

Fish River Canyon Ultra / 100km
13 June 2020
Fish River Canyon, Namibia
http://windhoeklightevents.com/events/fish-river-ultra

Madagascar Ultra Trail / 150km
21-26 July 2020
Madagascar
https://www.racing-madagascar.com

Namaqua Quest / 80km
28-30 August 2020
Springbok, Namaqualand, South Africa
http://namaquaquest.co.za/namaqua-quest-trail-running-stage-race

Schaap River Canyon Ultra / 58km or 82km
29 August 2020
Springbok, Namaqualand, South Africa
https://namaquaquest.co.za/schaap-river-canyon-ultra

Breathtaking Extreme Ultra Run / 265km
August 2020 (exact dates tbc)
Entabeni National Park, South Africa
https://www.breathtakingextreme.com/xtrm-ultra-run

Run The Karoo / 32km
18-19 September 2020
Middelburg, Karoo, South Africa
https://runthekaroo.co.za

Ultra Mirage El Djerid / 100km
3 October 2020
Tozeur, Tunisia
https://www.ultramirage.com

Salt Pans Ultra / 100km
3-5 October 2020
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana
https://www.saltpansultra.com

100km Del Sahara
5-12 October / 12-17 October 2020
Sahara Desert, Tunisia
http://www.100kmdelsahara.com

The Saharan Challenge / 84km
9-10 October 2020
Morocco
https://www.thesaharanchallenge.com

Race Desert Marathon / 100km
21-25 October 2020
Morocco
http://www.racedesertmarathon.com

Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon / 250km
29 October – 8 November 2020
Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa
http://www.kaem.co.za

Marathon des Oasis / 110km
November 2020 (exact dates tbc)
Tunisia
http://www.marathons-tunisiens.com

Ultra Africa Race/ 220 km
8-12 November 2020
Mozambique
http://www.canal-aventure.com/en/ultra-africa-race

Race to the Wreck Namibia / 200km on foot or 300km on fat-bikes and foot
15-22 November 2020
Namib Desert / Skeleton Coast, Namibia
https://ratracebucketlist.com/race-to-the-wreck

Pharonic Race / 100km
20 November 2020
Egypt
http://www.egyptianmarathon.com

The Desert Ultra / 250km
20-24 November 2020
Namib Desert, Namibia
https://beyondtheultimate.co.uk/ultra/the-desert-ultra-marathon

100km of Namib Desert
December 2020 (exact dates tbc)
Namibia
http://www.100kmofnamibdesert.com

The dates of a few desert races have not yet been finalised and will be added to this list once confirmed.

Africa Multi-stage Trail Races

Kimbia Kenya / 100km
8-16 February 2020
Kenya
https://exaequovoyages.com/kimbia-kenya

Remarkable Rwanda / 150km
8-16 February 2020
Rwanda
http://www.wildrun.com/experiences/remarkable-rwanda

São Tomé – The Hemisphere Crossing / 200km
15-21 February 2020
São Tomé and Príncipe
https://global-limits.com/sao-tome.html

Three Cranes Challenge / 92km
21-23 February 2020
Bushwillow Park, Karkloof Valley, South Africa
http://www.wildseries.co.za/events/three-cranes-challenge

Wild Coast Challenge / 120km
27-29 February 2020
Transkei, South Africa
https://www.rbadventures.org/wild-coast-challenge-1

Outeniqua Quest Trail Run / 108km
12-15 March 2020
Garden Route National Park, South Africa
http://trisport.co.za/trievent/outeniqua-quest

100km du Senegal
14-20 March 2020
Senegal
http://www.100kmdusenegal.com

Pondo Drifter South Trail Run / 72km
25-29 May 2020
Transkei, South Africa
http://trisport.co.za/trievent/pondo-drifter

Langkloof Trail Run / 75km
29-31 May 2020
Louvain Guest Farm, Langkloof, South Africa
https://langklooftrail.run

Pondo Drifter Trail Run North / 72km
30 May – 2 June 2020
Transkei, South Africa
http://trisport.co.za/trievent/transkei-pondo-drifter-trail-run-north

The Tusker Expedition Ultra Trail Run / 230 miles
30 June – 5 July 2020 (108 hours non-stop)
Eden to Addo Corridor, South Africa
https://tusker.run

SOX – Southern Cross Trail Run / 75km
8-10 August 2020
Garden Route, South Africa
https://soxtrail.run

Kilimanjaro Stage Run / 260km
15-25 August 2020
Tanzania
https://kilimanjarostagerun.com

Wildcoast Wildrun / 110km
2-6 September 2020
Wild Coast, South Africa
http://www.wildrun.com/experiences/wildcoast

For Rangers Ultra / 230km
16-20 September 2020
Kenya
http://beyondtheultimate.co.uk/ultra/for-rangers-ultra

Oyster Catcher Trail Run / 59km
25-27 September 2020
Boggomsbaai, South Africa
https://oyster-catcher.co.za

iKhulu Trail Run / 100km
28 October – 1 November 2020
Maputuland, South Africa
https://www.therunningcompany.co.za/ikhulutrailrun

Dryland Traverse / 75km
29 October – 1 November 2020
Klein Karoo, South Africa
https://drylandtraverse.co.za

Le Treg Simien Trail / 125km
28 November – 7 December 2020
Simien National Park, Ethiopia
http://www.le-treg.com/simien

If you know of any other desert or multi-stage trail races held in Africa which should be added to the above lists, please send the information to barnard.davidb@gmail.com.

Click here to view the 2019 Africa Desert Running Calendar.