Rallye du Maroc Runs 28 September to 3 October 2026 in Morocco

MOROCCO · MOTORSPORT

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The Rallye du Maroc takes cars, bikes and trucks from Agadir to Zagora over six days, as the fourth of five rounds in the World Rally-Raid Championship.

What Happens Between 28 September and 3 October

The Rallye du Maroc runs from 28 September to 3 October 2026. The race starts in Agadir, on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, and finishes in Zagora, near the edge of the Sahara.

It is the fourth of five rounds in the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship. The series is known as the W2RC. It is run jointly by the FIA and the FIM, the world bodies for car and motorcycle sport.

The week opens on 28 September. Motorcycle and quad riders run a short prologue. Car crews run a shakedown, which is a test session used to check the vehicles before racing.

Five timed stages follow, from 29 September to 3 October. Stage one runs from Agadir to Zagora. The remaining four are loops that start and end at Zagora.

Some organiser pages list an earlier start date. Those extra days cover registration and scrutineering, the technical checks that every vehicle must pass.

How Rally-Raid Racing Works

Rally-raid is long-distance off-road racing. Crews cross open desert, mountain tracks and dunes over several days. They sleep at a bivouac, a temporary camp that moves with the race.

There is no marked circuit. Drivers and riders follow a roadbook, a printed set of instructions with distances, compass headings and hazard warnings.

Navigation decides many results. A crew that misses a waypoint loses time that raw speed cannot recover.

Vehicles run in separate classes. Ultimate covers the fastest purpose-built cars, while Challenger and side-by-side vehicles are lighter buggies. Stock is a new class for the 2026 season.

Motorcycles have their own divisions. Only riders in the top RallyGP class score points towards the FIM world title.

The 2026 Route and What Is Known About It

The organiser describes the route as running from the ocean to the Sahara. Agadir provides the coastal start, and Zagora provides the desert base for the rest of the week.

Zagora sits in the Draa valley in southern Morocco. It is a common starting point for desert travel, and it gives the race four loop stages in one area.

The championship published total distances with the route announcement. Those figures were about 2,838 kilometres for cars and about 2,773 kilometres for motorcycles.

Of those totals, about 1,656 kilometres were timed for cars and about 1,591 kilometres for motorcycles. The timed sections are called special stages.

Later route updates listed slightly lower totals. Distances in rally-raid change as the course is checked and adjusted, so the final numbers may differ again.

The championship has said the stages include new mountain sections, dunes and canyons. Detailed stage maps go to competitors in the roadbook rather than to the public in advance.

What This Means for Residents and Visitors

For residents in Morocco, the rally is visible mainly in two places. Agadir sees the start, and Zagora hosts the bivouac for most of the week.

The organiser lists hotel accommodation in both cities. It also offers tented accommodation at a camp near Zagora for teams and their guests.

Watching is harder than at a circuit race. Stages cross open country, and the safest viewing is at the start and finish areas rather than out on the course.

For investors, the event works as a short seasonal demand spike. It brings crews, media and support staff into two regional towns for about a week.

The entry list was not public at the time of writing. Competitor registration closed on 11 September 2026, but the final field had not been confirmed.

Why This Round Matters in the Championship

The championship arrives in Morocco with three rounds already run. Abu Dhabi closes the season in November.

Standings were tight before the event. The championship reported that the top four motorcycle riders were separated by ten points.

That makes Morocco a likely decider in several classes. A single navigation error across six days can move a rider several places down the table.

The rally also works as preparation for the Dakar Rally in January. Teams use Morocco to test tyres, pit procedure and roadbook reading.

This edition is the first under a new organiser, Pro Dunes. The company has added a regularity class for classic vehicles and has brought quads back into the entry.

For readers who follow motorsport, the practical point is simple. Results appear daily on the championship website, and the finish falls on a Saturday.

Sources

• World Rally-Raid Championship — Rallye du Maroc 2026 route announcement
• Rallye du Maroc — official organiser site

FAQ

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Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Rallye du Maroc 2026 take place?

It runs from 28 September to 3 October 2026. A prologue and a shakedown open the week on 28 September. Five timed stages follow between 29 September and 3 October.

Where does the route go?

The race starts in Agadir on the Atlantic coast and finishes in Zagora in southern Morocco. Stage one links the two cities. The remaining four stages are loops based at Zagora.

What is the World Rally-Raid Championship?

It is a series of long-distance off-road races sanctioned by the FIA and the FIM. The 2026 season has five rounds, and Morocco is the fourth. The Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia opens the season each January.

Can the public watch the stages?

Watching is harder than at a circuit race, because the stages cross open desert and mountain tracks. The start in Agadir and the bivouac area at Zagora are the practical places to see the vehicles. Daily results are published on the championship website.

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