Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally is the world's best-known off-road endurance race. It is a marathon across deserts, dunes, rocky tracks and dry riverbeds that pushes bikes, quads, cars, trucks and side-by-sides to their limits. Fans love it because speed is only part of the story. Navigation, mechanical sympathy and stamina count just as much. Factory teams with big budgets line up alongside privateers who fix their own machines at night. A leader can lose everything with one wrong turn, so no stage is ever safe.

The Dakar was the idea of Frenchman Thierry Sabine, who got lost in the Libyan desert during a 1977 rally and decided the landscape deserved its own event. The first Paris to Dakar run set off at the end of 1978. For decades it crossed Europe and Africa, finishing in Dakar, Senegal. Security threats led organizers to cancel the 2008 edition, and the race has since been held on other continents while keeping its famous name.

How it works

• Competitors race a series of daily stages, usually over about two weeks, and the lowest total time wins.
• Each class has its own classification, including bikes, quads, cars, trucks and lighter side-by-side vehicles.
• Crews navigate with a roadbook of symbols and distances, and they get the details shortly before each stage.
• Each night competitors reach a bivouac camp for repairs and rest. On marathon stages, outside mechanical help is limited.

Fan tips

• Follow the stage results each day rather than just the overall standings. Big time swings often come from a single stage.
• Learn the basics of roadbook navigation. Once you know why riders slow down, the action makes far more sense.
• Watch the bike class closely. Riders navigate alone, and they tend to produce some of the most dramatic stories.
• If you go in person, pack for dust, sun and long waits. The best viewing spots are often far from town, so plan transport carefully.

Legends of Dakar

Books, biographies and collectibles about the series' greats.

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