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Maryline Nakache

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Grasse, FranceBorn 1984-09-07Sponsor Cimalp
UTMB 732ITRA 730Wins 25Podiums 36

Maryline Nakache (born 7 September 1984 in Marseille) is a French ultra-trail runner who races for Team Cimalp and the Courir en Pays de Grasse club. A materials-science doctor who worked at Thales before turning to coaching, she discovered trail running in 2015 and rose from regional wins to the French Trail Long title in 2018, then to international success with victory at the 2023 TDS by UTMB and the Marathon des Sables. A multiple-time MDS women's champion who won the 2026 MDS Ultra outright, she is a patient, relentless closer known for starting conservatively and reeling in the field over an ultra's final hours, as well as for an adventurous, nomadic lifestyle.

Upcoming Races

2026
1 race
South Downs Way 100
Jun 13
100mi
England

Race Results

2026
6 races5 wins
1st
Trail de Mimet
May 17
44km
2,657m+
5:21:15
2nd overall - Parcours Elite
1st
Trail des Maures
May 10
42km
2,212m+
4:46:09
2nd overall - Marathon des Maures
1st
Trail du lac de Paladru
Apr 18
15.8km
381m+
1:11:46
La Découverte
1st
Marathon des Sables Legendary
Apr 5
270km
2,567m+
25:54:29
13th overall - women's champion
16th
Black Canyon Ultras/Black Canyon 100K
Feb 14
100km
1,601m+
9:46:33
62nd overall
1st
Marathon des Sables Ultra
Jan 11
160km
875m+
18:17:10
1st overall - won outright ahead of the entire field
2025
7 races5 wins
1st
Maxi Race Madeira
Dec 6
100km
6,300m+
15:51:59
4th overall
3rd
Wildstrubel by UTMB
Sep 20
70km
4,600m+
9:13:06
15th overall
1st
Échappée Belle
Aug 23
63.5km
4,780m+
9:40:07
14th overall - Parcours des Crêtes
1st
Québec Mega Trail/QMT 135
Jul 4
135km
6,000m+
19:11:41
4th overall - inaugural edition of QMT 135
1st
Trail des Maures
May 11
60km
3,383m+
6:53:47
6th overall - Trail des Braconniers
1st
Marathon des Sables Legendary
Apr 6
250km
2,710m+
23:57:20
4th overall - women's champion
4th
Transgrancanaria/Classic
Feb 21
126km
6,862m+
16:18:13
24th overall
2024
2 races
2nd
Grand Raid de la Réunion/La Diagonale des Fous
Oct 17
174.7km
10,500m+
33:01:19
36th overall
16th
Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc/UTMB
Aug 30
173.3km
9,525m+
27:16:18
95th overall
View All 44 Results

Career Highlights

2026: Won the Marathon des Sables Ultra outright (160km, 18:17:10, 1st overall); won the MDS Legendary women's title (270km, 25:54:29)
2025: Won the inaugural Québec Mega Trail 135 (135km, 19:11:41); won Maxi-Race Madeira (100km) and the MDS Legendary women's title (250km); 4th at Transgrancanaria Classic (126km)
2024: 2nd at the Diagonale des Fous (174.7km, 33:01:19); won l'UltrAriège (101km); 16th at UTMB; 3rd at Mozart 100
2023: Won TDS by UTMB (145km, 23:37:57) - beating Fiona Porte; won the Marathon des Sables (250km); 2nd at Lavaredo Ultra Trail; 3rd at SaintéLyon
2022: Won Ultra-Trail Harricana and two EcoTrail Paris titles; 4th at MIUT (115km); 5th at Ultra-Trail Cape Town
2021: 6th at UTMB (172km, 26:40:48); won Tenerife Bluetrail and Transgrancanaria Advanced; 3rd at Ultra-Trail Cape Town
2020: Won Transgrancanaria Advanced (65km); 3rd at Montreux Trail Festival MXtreme (111km)
2019: 5th at CCC (99km, 12:57:25); won EcoTrail Paris, the Challenge de l'Atlas (record) and Montreux MXAlps; 3rd at the 90km du Mont-Blanc
2018: French Trail Long Champion (63km, 8:37:21); won La 6000D by 30 minutes and the Serre Che Trail; 3rd at Festival des Templiers
2017: Breakthrough season of regional wins across the Alpes-Maritimes (Vésubie, Valberg, Trail des Alpes Maritimes)

Key Achievements

TDS Winner (2023) - UTMB World Series
Marathon des Sables multiple-time women's champion (2023, 2025, 2026) - won the 2026 MDS Ultra outright (1st overall)
QMT 135 Winner (2025) - inaugural edition
Transgrancanaria Advanced Winner (2020, 2021)
Tenerife Bluetrail Winner (2021)
French Trail Long Champion (2018)
Grand Raid de la Réunion - Diagonale des Fous 2nd (2024)
Lavaredo Ultra Trail 2nd (2023)
UTMB 6th (2021), CCC 5th (2019)
La 6000D Winner (2018), l'UltrAriège Winner (2024)

Notable Traits

Born in Marseille; holds a doctorate in materials science (University of Toulon) and worked at Thales before becoming a sport and nutrition coach
Discovered trail running in 2015 after trying gymnastics, fencing, swimming, and French boxing
Races for Team Cimalp and the Courir en Pays de Grasse club; coached by Gérard Lopez
Multiple-time Marathon des Sables women's champion; won the 2026 MDS Ultra outright, ahead of the entire field
Patient front-runner and strong late-race closer on long, technical mountain ultras
Embraces a nomadic, minimalist lifestyle - spent close to a year living in a van