Stage 1 of the MDS 120 Jordan (6th Edition) began well before sunrise, with competitors leaving their Dead Sea hotels at 03:30 to head south towards the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum. The day then settled in with an event format already very broad: nearly 600 participants from 30 countries, including 51% women.
The race start was given at 09:30, a time described as relatively late, even as the heat was already being felt. To kick off the adventure, the runners faced a 27 km opener with two checkpoints, a sequence presented as a demanding test to get into the race. This first section set a physical pace right from the start.
From a sporting point of view, one factor dominated stage 1: the abundance of soft sand. The surface was described as a shock from the first day of a multi-stage race, with progress judged frustrating because every step sinks in. This resistance from the ground required more energy than on firmer terrain, even if the spectacle made up for the effort.
Among the men, Jordan’s Salameh Alaqra set the pace at the beginning and led the group to the first checkpoint. Then, mile by mile, Mahé Freydier (French) and Antonio Tostón (Spain) moved ahead. In the end, Freydier won in 2:37, Tostón finished second and Alaqra completed the podium in third place.
In the women’s race, it was dominated by Héline De Souza. She records a time of 3:09:42 and arrives with an advantage described as remarkable: 46 minutes over the second-place finisher, Audrey Roynard. Laure Masson takes third place. The text also notes that, as the sun was setting, many runners were not yet on the course, a reminder of how tough the terrain is.
