Dakar 2024 Route Preview

Dakar rally organisers have left no stone unturned in creating a gruelling new route for the 47th edition of world famous desert race. The two-week event is the ultimate endurance test, with entrants returning to the desert on January 3rd to conquer over 7700km of sand, gravel, rocks, and dunes – to say the very least. 

Labelled as a “tough Dakar”, 2025 will push riders, drivers and crews to their limits from the very beginning. Starting with a high-speed 29km Prologue Stage in Bisha, the action then leads straight into both the 48-hour Chrono Stage and the Marathon stage. After a rest day on January 10th in Hail, competitors will then go on to the Empty Quarter desert – where the race will ultimately be decided amongst the Saudi Arabian dunes, as the checkered flag will wave in Shubaytah on January 17.

We’ve put together a full route preview ahead of the biggest rally raid on the planet. 

Prologue – Jan 3
Following two days of scrutineering in the described “oasis” of Bisha, the 29km Prologue begins and finishes at Dakar’s Start Camp. With prologue set to be fast and competitive, thanks to the route’s wide gravel tracks, the top 10 entrants in all categories will get to choose their starting positions for Stage 1. 

Stage 1 – Jan 4 
With no dunes in sight as of yet, competitors will complete another Bisha to Bisha loop. This time a 412km special stage of extremely varied terrain with both big fast and tight little sections, keeping entrants on the edge when it comes to perfecting their speed and lines.

Stage 2 – Jan 5-6
The 48-hour Chrono stage. Racing over 1000km across the two days, this race format marks its second appearance at the Dakar Rally. Entering on the morning of Jan 5, entrants must stop at the next rest area they arrive at once the clock strikes 5pm. Following an isolated overnight period, competitors will kick off again on Jan 6 for the remainder of the timed stage. 

Stage 3 – Jan 7
Noted as a transition stage still, the rally leaves Bisha and heads north to Al Henakiyah. While the opening section is technical and notably a test for riders in particular, the speed picks up on the 496km special for a fairly quick finish. 

Stage 4 + 5 – Jan 8-9
Beginning the marathon stage, the rally has no liaison between stage four and five so competitors must be self-sufficient amongst the canyons of Al Ula. Starting in Al Henakiyah and ending in Hail, the 848km special begins rocky and technical. Entering into stage 5, the terrain switches to a quick, sandy and still technical route before a well-needed rest day on Jan 10. 

Stage 6 – Jan 11
Hail to Al Duwadimi, the start of Dakar’s second week of racing is longer than what’s come before. With a technical first section filled with rock, the second half of the 606km sees racers enter the sand dunes. 

Stage 7 – Jan 12
The first of five stages ahead where two-wheel and four-wheel entrants take on separate stages and begin at the same time. This 481km loop at Al Duawadimi is sandy, fast, technical and a navigational challenge. Cars are at a disadvantage with no bikes lines to follow, though the earlier start means they have a better chance of finishing the stage before dark. 

Stage 8 – Jan 13
Al Duwadimi to Riyadh is described by Dakar organisers as “hectic and varied”. The 487km special again sees a split route for bikes and cars, with this stage noting clear standouts when it comes to the leaderboard. 

Stage 9 – Jan 14
A short-ish 357km to Haradh, this transition stage reaches a point where strategy becomes increasingly important as starting positions become crucial ahead of the Empty Quarter dunes. 

Stage 10 – Jan 15
A tiny 119km, the rally descends into the Empty Quarter after a long morning liaison. This part of the desert is home to sand dunes up to 250m high and where we see the final three days of rally play out. 

Stage 11 – Jan 16
The penultimate stage full of unpredictability. Split routes continue with the truck class given their own route away from the convoy. A big timed stage of the rally, encompassing 280km across the dunes. 

Stage 12 – Jan 17
Reaching the final stage of the 2025 Dakar Rally, a mass start for both bikes and trucks sees a desert spectacle like no other. Launching into dunes, the last 134km of racing means these competitors charge towards the finish line in Shubaytah to claim not only victories and podiums, but the immense accomplishment of being a Dakar Rally finisher.