Africa Desert Running Calendar 2021

Africa is home to some of the world’s largest and most unique deserts, including the Sahara, Namib and Kalahari. Increasingly, these deserts and other parts of the continent with desert and semi-desert characteristics, host a wide range of footraces, making Africa the premier international desert running destination.

Unfortunately, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, various desert races scheduled for 2021 have already been cancelled or postponed to later in the year. More disruptions are expected depending on the changing status of COVID-19 in different parts of the continent.

The 2021 Africa desert running calendar consists of two sections – the first covers multi-stage desert footraces, and the second section highlights prominent multi-stage (non-desert) trail races.

Africa Desert Races

Namib Race / 250km
25 April – 1 May 2021
Namibia
https://www.4deserts.com/namibrace

Eco Trail Morocco / 70km
26-29 April 2021
Morocco
http://www.ecotrail.ma

Klipspringer Challenge / 65km
1-2 May 2021
Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa
https://www.klipspringerchallenge.co.za

Namibia Crossing / 200km (postponed to June 2022)
20-26 June 2021
South Africa / Namibia
http://www.wildrun.com/experiences/namibia-crossing

Namaqua Quest / 80km
3-5 September 2021
Springbok, Namaqualand, South Africa
http://namaquaquest.co.za/namaqua-quest-trail-running-stage-race

Trans Atlas Marathon / 220km
17-26 September 2021
Morocco
https://www.transatlasmarathon.com

Transmarocaine Tizi N’Trail / 71km
29 September – 3 October 2021
Ouarzazate, Morocco
http://www.go2events.fr/transmarocaine-tizi-n-trail

Salt Pans Ultra / 100km
1-3 October 2021
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana
https://www.saltpansultra.com

Marathon Des Sables / 250km
1-11 October 2021
Morocco
http://www.marathondessables.com

Ultra Mirage El Djerid / 100km
2 October 2021
Tozeur, Tunisia
https://www.ultramirage.com

The Saharan Challenge / 84km
7-11 October 2021
Draa Valley, Morocco
https://ultrachallenge.com/the-saharan-challenge

100km Del Sahara / 100km
9-15 October 2021
Sahara Desert, Tunisia
http://www.100kmdelsahara.com

Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon / 250km
15-23 October 2021
Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa
http://www.kaem.co.za

Marathon des Ergs Sahariens / 150km
16-23 October 2021
Morocco
https://www.cap-orn.org/copie-de-haut-atlas

Race Desert Marathon / 100km
November 2021 (exact dates to be confirmed)
Morocco
http://www.racedesertmarathon.com

Race to the Wreck Namibia / 200km on foot or 300km on fat-bikes and foot
14-21 November 2021
Namib Desert / Skeleton Coast, Namibia
https://racetothewreck.com

The Desert Ultra / 250km
19-23 November 2021
Namib Desert, Namibia
https://beyondtheultimate.co.uk/ultra/the-desert-ultra-marathon

Ultra Africa Race / 220km
21-25 November 2021
Mozambique
http://www.canal-aventure.com/en/ultra-africa-race

100km of Namib Desert / 100km
6-11 December 2021
Namibia
http://www.100kmofnamibdesert.com

Africa Multi-stage Trail Races

Kimbia Kenya / 100km
12-21 February 2021
Kenya
https://exaequovoyages.com/kimbia-kenya

Cape Crusade Mountain Trail Run / 65km
16-18 April 2021
Hottentots Holland Mountain Range, Western Cape, South Africa
https://www.capecrusadetrail.com

Trail2Teebus / 72km
23-25 April 2021
Steynsburg, Eastern Cape, South Africa
https://www.trail2teebus.co.za

Eco Trail Morocco / 70km
26-29 April 2021
Morocco
http://ecotrail.ma

Pondo Drifter Trail Run / 74km
27 April – 1 May 2021
Transkei, South Africa
https://trisport.co.za/trievent/pondo-drifter-4-day-trailrun

Le Treg Cabo Verde Trail / 110km
8-16 May 2021
San Antao, Cape Verde
http://www.le-treg.com/caboverde-en

Red Island Trail / 125km
14-27 May 2021
Madagascar
http://traildelilerouge.com

Langkloof Trail Run / 64km
28-30 May 2021
Outeniqua Mountains, Southern Cape, South Africa
https://langklooftrail.run

Trail Amizmiz / 95km
29-30 May 2021
Morocco
https://www.trailmaroc.com/trail-amizmiz/presentation

UltraMad Madagascar / 156km
26 June – 4 July 2021
Madagascar
http://ultramad.fr

The Hemisphere Crossing / 200km
15-24 July 2021
Sao Tomé
https://www.global-limits.com/sao-tome

Blue Cross Ultra / 500km
4-10 August 2021
Zimbabwe
https://www.spca-bluecross.com

SOX Trail Run / 75km
7-9 August 2021
Garden Route, South Africa
https://soxtrail.run

Kilimanjaro Stage Run / 260km
14-24 August 2021
Tanzania
https://kilimanjarostagerun.com

Wildcoast Wildrun / 113km
8-12 September 2021
Wild Coast, South Africa
http://www.wildrun.com/experiences/wildcoast

Oyster Catcher Trail Run / 60km
24-26 September 2021
Southern Cape, South Africa
https://oyster-catcher.co.za

Trans Atlas Marathon / 220km
17-26 September 2021
Morocco
https://www.transatlasmarathon.com

For Rangers Ultra / 230km
22-26 September 2021
Kenya
http://beyondtheultimate.co.uk/ultra/for-rangers-ultra

iKhulu Trail Run / 100km
13-17 October 2021
Maputuland, South Africa
https://www.therunningcompany.co.za/ikhulu

UltraTrail Atlas Toubkal / 105km
17-21 October 2021
Oukaïmeden, Morocco
https://atlas-trail.com/utat

Dryland Traverse / 75km
4-7 November 2021
Klein Karoo, South Africa
https://drylandtraverse.co.za

Atlas Mountain Trail / 80km
20-27 November 2021
Morocco
http://www.atlas-mountaintrail.com/fr

Le Treg Simien Trail / 125km
28 November – 7 December 2021
Simien National Park, Ethiopia
http://www.le-treg.com/simien-en

If you know of any other multi-stage desert or trail races which should be added to the 2021 calendar, or changes in the mentioned dates, please send the information to barnard.davidb@gmail.com.