The Sahara Marathon is an international sport event to demonstrate solidarity with the Saharawi people and run by the Saharawi Sport Committee.   The route symbolically connects the three refugee camps of Smara, Auserd and ElAyoun, and leads runners through a desert which has been the home of Saharawi refugees for 30 years.
See: http://www.saharamarathon.org/desktopdefault.aspx?fl=1