The Marathon des Sables, often called the “toughest footrace on earth,” was struck by tragedy in its recent 2026 edition. And so did the Cape Wrath Trail FKT Attempt in Scotland. Within just three days, two runners, Gregory and David Parrish, tragically lost their lives while running their own marathons across two different continents. Though the circumstances surrounding their passing were very different, the sense of loss they leave behind is equally profound.

Gregory was participating in the 2026 Marathon des Sables when, in the early hours before the fourth stage, he unfortunately suffered an unknown but serious medical incident.

As per the statement from the official page of Marathon des Sables, Gregory was immediately given medical attention and taken to a hospital in Errachidia (a local town), but he tragically passed away a few days later.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of a participant in the 40th edition of the MDS Legendary, named Grégory,” read the statement on Facebook. “After suffering a serious medical incident at the bivouac on the morning of April 8, he was immediately attended to and evacuated by helicopter to the hospital. He sadly passed away a few days later, marking the fourth death in the race’s history.

“This event has deeply affected the entire Marathon des Sables community, as well as all those who shared this journey alongside him. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”

For the trail running world, however, this wasn’t the only tragic incident to take place this week, as ultramarathon champion David Parrish died on the Cape Wrath Trail.

Parrish was attempting to beat the record for the fastest run on the 234-mile trail when the tracking device he ran with stopped making progress. That led the Kintail Mountain Rescue Team to start their search for him, and as per a statement, they tragically found him dead on the trail.

“Kintail Mountain Rescue Team volunteers were involved in the search for a missing runner who was tragically found dead on the Cape Wrath Trail on Saturday,” reads the statement on Facebook.

It added, “Volunteers from Kintail MRT led the search and recovery close to Meallan Odhar in Glen Shiel.”

Parrish had already won the Cape Wrath Ultra in 2023, marking his ultra-race debut with a stunning win with a time of 45:28:48, the second fastest time for the event. He, however, began running as a teenager and returned to it competitively after leaving the Royal Marines, winning the Dragon’s Back race in September 2025. He had decided to attempt to break the record in memory of his friend and had been in touch with the current holder, Pawel Cymbalista, who had been giving him tips.

“His latest challenge was to raise money for Scottish Mountain Rescue in memory of his friend Luke Ireland, who passed away from hypothermia while he was out running in the mountains around Glen Clova,” the statement further read.

The unfortunate tragedies have once again put endurance racing under scrutiny, with two separate events ending in loss despite rapid response efforts. Especially at events like the Marathon des Sables, which is a multi-stage ultra-endurance race held over six stages in the Moroccan desert, pushing participants to their limits.

In it, runners must be self-sufficient, carrying their own food and gear for the entire 250km race across six stages. However, they are provided with a place to sleep and water by the organizers and must pass a stringent background check before participating. Since its inception in 1986, the race has evolved into multiple formats, while the MDS legend remains the same as when it was first created.

And while the Marathon des Sables has now added another name to its list of fatalities, it is far from an isolated case in the world of extreme distance running.

Marathon des Sables is not the first ultra-endurance race to face serious emergencies

Unfortunately, because of the grueling and demanding nature of an ultra-endurance race, Marathon des Sables isn’t the first such race to face serious emergencies. In fact, the race has faced four incidents in its history, the most recent in 2021, when a French runner suffered a medical emergency during the second stage.

Fellow runners, who were doctors, immediately rushed to help the participant, activated his SOS button, and provided first aid. Paramedics and doctors soon arrived on the scene, but unfortunately, the participant was pronounced dead soon after.

Outside Marathon des Sables, in 2025, a 60-year-old experienced ultra-runner tragically passed away after she collapsed during the Hardrock Hundred Mile Endurance Run in Colorado. In that particular case, because of the nature of the trail, medical personnel had to trek more than ¾ of the way to her and tried to resuscitate her, but to no avail.

Over the years, other ultra-endurance races have also unfortunately experienced similar fatal incidents, including in China. That occurred in 2021 during a 100km ultramarathon in Gansu province when participants were hit by strong winds and torrential rain. Unfortunately, the conditions meant that 21 runners had passed away due to hypothermia, despite 1200 rescue personnel being deployed to help with the rescue operations.

In the aftermath of the incident, China suspended all high-risk sporting events, though the suspension was temporary to ensure better safety conditions for participants. Since then, extreme sports, including ultra-endurance races, have resumed in the country under new rules and regulations.