The inaugural Ultimate Marathon Rally, organized by TL’O, will take place in late February 2027. It is a regularity rally running through Nador, M’Hamid, and Saïdia in Morocco.

TL’O had previously planned the Ultimate Rally Classic, which would’ve been a vintage rally raid starting in France and finishing in Zagora. It was originally scheduled for October 2025 then moved to March 2026 as a Morocco-only race, then vaguely postponed again to 2027 before TL’O announced the UMR.

Unlike the URC, the UMR will be a regularity race that allows modern vehicles too. Classic cars are in the C1 category, modern ones in T1, SSVs in S1, trucks in B1, and bikes in M1. While not an official FIA or FIM event, all modern cars and bikes must comply with the regulations of those federations.

The regularity quirk helps the UMR stand out from the oodles of rallies in Morocco. Historic rallies predominantly follow regularity rules anyway, but raids for current cars and bikes use the traditional selective section format instead. For example, while the Rallye du Maroc is set to debut a vintage class under regularity rules, the main race still has the usual layout of setting the fastest time in a given special stage.

For this reason, TL’O also promotes the UMR as a viable training ground for those looking to do the Dakar Classic.

“Motorcycle and SSV enthusiasts will finally have the opportunity to try their hand at this technical and strategic challenge, while enjoying a unique and demanding setting,” reads the UMR website. “An experience that stands out for its authenticity and respect for sporting values.”

Registration will open on April 2 and run through October. The race will span eight stages and 2,950 kilometers.

Tentative route

Stage	Start	Finish
Stage 1	Nador	Ain Bni Mathar
Stage 2	Ain Bni Mathar	Errachidia
Stage 3	Errachidia	Merzouga
Stage 4	Merzouga	M’Hamid
Stage 5	M’Hamid	M’Hamid
Stage 6	M’Hamid	M’Hamid
Stage 7	M’Hamid	Boudenib
Stage 8	Boudenib	Saïdia

Featured image credit: TL’O