Maryline Nakache

About

Maryline Nakache is a French ultrarunner and coach from Marseille who holds a doctorate in materials science and spent years working in research for Thales before the mountains claimed her entirely. Growing up, she cycled through disciplines — gymnastics, fencing, swimming, French boxing — without finding her sporting identity, until a friend introduced her to trail running in 2015 and something clicked. She rose with remarkable speed, winning the French long trail championship in 2018 just three years after her first trail race. In 2023 she produced one of the most complete seasons any French trail runner has assembled: winning the TDS by UTMB (145km through the Alps) and the Marathon des Sables in the same calendar year, the latter outright ahead of the entire men's field. She successfully defended her MDS title in 2025 and won again in 2026, accumulating three Marathon des Sables victories to cement her place as the race's dominant modern women's champion. For several years she has lived full-time in a van — a deliberate choice aligned with her values around freedom and space — while running a coaching practice that serves runners from first ultra to elite competition.

Notable Wins

• — TDS by UTMB 2023
• — Marathon des Sables 2023
• — Marathon des Sables 2025
• — Marathon des Sables 2026

Upcoming Races

Race History

Recent Coverage