Aïcha Omrani

About

Aïcha Omrani is a French masters ultrarunner who returned to the Marathon des Sables a decade after her 2011 debut and ran roughly twice as fast. At the 2021 edition she finished 3rd woman overall in 35:47:48 -- just five minutes behind winner Aziza Raji -- while also topping the W50-59 age category and finishing as the first Frenchwoman home, placing 37th in the combined general classification. Her build-up included a marathon best of 2:58:17 at Berlin and a 10K best of 38:36, and she holds a French masters (V3F) national title. She returned to elite desert racing after a serious health setback: in 2015 she underwent a full thyroidectomy after being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.

Notable Wins

• — Marathon des Sables 3rd woman overall 2021 (35:47:48
• — 1st Frenchwoman
• — W50-59 category winner)