"As a consequence of the deterioration of the international situation which seemed stable to us a few weeks ago, we take the heavy decision to postpone again this 35th Marathon des Sables to the period from 2 to 12 April 2021", said the organizers in a statement published on the official website of the race.

"In this context of general uncertainty, we are facing too many unknowns to organize our beautiful MDS adventure with serenity," stressed race director Patrick Bauer in the statement. "We were ready to respond to all the health measures that would have had to be put in place," he added.

"However, it seems unthinkable for us to gather in the desert for this 35th edition in such complex conditions, not only for the organizers, but also for our competitors, volunteers, partners, service providers and journalists," explained Bauer.