Publication date: 19 Dec 2023
About the Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is the most extreme rally marathon in the world, held annually in January. Due to the climatic conditions, it is a challenging event. The distance is about 10,000 kilometres long and includes both asphalt and dirt roads, as well as sand dunes, mountain passes and other difficult sections. The competition takes place over two weeks and participants overcome it in cars, motorbikes, trucks and quad bikes.
2026 Dakar Rally
The competition traditionally starts in January. Although the official dates for the 2026 Dakar Rally have not yet been announced, it is already known that Saudi Arabia will once again be the venue. The route is expected to be over 8,000 kilometers long, most of which are difficult timed special stages. The organizers plan to include new territories and non-standard sections to make the race even more spectacular and unpredictable.
History of the competition
The Dakar Rally was founded by French journalist Thierry Sabine. The first competition took place in 1979. Initially, the competition was held on the route Paris – Dakar. The first races were not supposed to be divided by categories and classes, so all cars and motorbikes participated in the general classification. In 2008, the rally was moved to South America due to security threats. In 2020, Dakar returned again to Saudi Arabia, where it is held till today. Interestingly, most of the competitors are not professionals, 80% of them are amateurs.
Competition results for the last three years
| Year | Venue | Winners |
| 2025 | Saudi Arabia | Cars: Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Timo Gottschalk
Bikes: Daniel Sanders Challenger Winner: Nicolas Cavigliasso, Valentina Pertegarini (BBR Team) SSV: Brok Heger, Max Eddy (Sebastien Loeb Racing – RZR Factory Racing) Trucks: Martin Makic, Frantisek Tomasek, David Schwanda Classics: Carlos Santaolalla, Jan Rosa and Vinas |
| 2024 | Saudi Arabia | Cars: Carlos Sainz, Lucas Cruz
Bikes: Ricky BrabecQuads: Manuel Andujar Challengers Winner: Cristina Gutierrez, Pablo Moreno Huete SSV: Xavier de Soultrait, Martin Bonnet Trucks: Martin Makic, Frantisek Tomasek, David Schwanda Classics: Carlos Santaolalla, Jan Rosa and Vinas |
| 2023 | Saudi Arabia | Cars: Nasser Al-Attiyah, Mathieu Baumel
Bikes: Kevin Benavides Quads: Alexandre Giroud Light Phototypes: Austin Jones, Gustavo Gugelmin SSVs: Eryk Goczał, Oriol Mena Trucks: Janus van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald, Marcel Snijders. Classics: Juan Marera, Lidia Ruba
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2027 Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is a real test for athletes and equipment. It attracts millions of spectators around the world and is one of the most spectacular sporting events.
The next Dakar will most likely also take place in January 2027.
Keep an eye on the dates of rally marathons and other events in our Sporting Events Calendar.
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