The Mountain Races Podcast

After a cold, rain-soaked first night at the Atlas Mountain Race 2026, riders emerge from darkness into morning light scattered across the High Atlas. Frigid temperatures, flooded roads, and icy descents define the opening hours of the race, forcing decisions around shelter, sleep, and when to keep moving.

In villages along the early tarmac corridor, riders gather briefly around wood stoves, cafés, and petrol stations — drying socks, warming hands, fixing mechanicals, and weighing fatigue against momentum. Some push on through the night, others pause for rest, all navigating the consequences of an unusually harsh start.

As daylight reveals snow-covered peaks and saturated landscapes, bringing with it a renewed spirit for our riders. The lead riders reach Checkpoint 1, while much of the field continues to funnel through towns toward their first stamp.

Riders featured in this episode:

Gala Giannini— Cap 81
Tanner Jackson — Cap 112
Seun Alaba — Cap 4
Fritz Meinecke — Cap 147
Roz Osborne — Cap 163
Julian Mills — Cap 153
Stephane Ouaja — Cap 165
Arthur Bonal — Cap 20
Ariane Richter — Cap 179
Sterre Witteveen — Cap 322B
Conor Dunne — Cap 64
Sebastian Trimborn — Cap 126
Victor Bosoni — Cap 21
Rob Britton — Cap 25
Stefan Haehnel — Cap 94

Dotwatch the 2026 Atlas Mountain Race

Follow us on Instagram @atlasmountainrace for daily visual & written updates

Hosted and produced by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Cover image by Lloyd Wright
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Atlas Mountain Race 2026 is finally here, beginning with the usual proceedings of registration. Riders trickled into the cultural centre at Ain Asserdoun Park in Beni-Mellal under persistent rain. After years of drought, high rivers, lingering snow on mountain passes, and late route changes set the tone for the adventure ahead.

In this opening episode, we hear from riders across the field to heart their thoughts and feelings on the road to the start line and what they are about to embark on.

Riders featured in this episode:

Abderrahim Aarab & Haitam Ait bouaziz — Caps 301A&B
Rebecca Rusch — Cap 316B
Gökay Bıyık —Cap 17
Sean Geivett & Emma Missale — Caps 309A&B
Taylor Doyle — Cap 62
Cynthia Carson — Cap 33
Steven Davis — Cap 55
Kerry MacPhee — Cap 137
Rob Britton — Cap 25
Max Riese — Cap 180

Dotwatch the 2026 Atlas Mountain Race

Follow us on Instagram @atlasmountainrace for daily visual & written updates

Hosted and produced by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the 2026 Atlas Mountain Race, supported by Tailfin, Pertex and Albion.

The sixth edition is a year of change for the Atlas Mountain Race with a new start in Beni-Mellal. In this episode, Media Manager and host of this year's race podcast, Mel Webb, sits down with Race Director Nelson Trees to provide an overview of this year's route, our favourites for the win and what dotwatchers and riders alike are in store for.

Dotwatch the 2026 Atlas Mountain Race

Follow us on Instagram @atlasmountainrace for daily visual & written updates

Credits:
Hosted and produced by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sixth edition of the Atlas Mountain Race kicks off Friday 6th February, 2026. For the first time, we'll start in Beni-Mellal, a new gateway into the Atlas Mountains. From CP1 riders enter classic AMR terrain, into the rugged Anti-Atlas, winding their way to the old port town of Essaouira. Riders will have have until midnight on February 14th to reach the finish line.

Tune in every day for a front-row seat to the action. We’ll bring you stories and updates from the trail, illuminating the dots on your screen and bringing their adventure straight to your ears.

Follow the dots on MAProgress and follow @atlasmountainrace on Instagram for visual updates from the trail.

This series is hosted and produced by Mel Webb and sound design by Ben Crannell.

Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 1,924 kilometers, riders finally reached the finish line in Karakol. Some had been there for days, others arrived just in time for the cut-off. The end of the race can be disorienting—time on the trail stretches and bends, days blur into nights, and by the time they reach the finish line, their ride can already feel like a different lifetime.

In our final episode we hear from some of our riders, along with Race Director Nelson Trees, about their experience, knowing full well it will take plenty of time to soak in and more stories to emerge.

Riders featured in this episode:
Karen Wycurz — Cap 106
Tobias Callister — Cap 196
Cat Magill — Cap 33
Niel Copeland — Cap 142
Ethan Washam — Cap 64
Dan Bridle — Cap 44
Helene Fromentry and Stefan Haehnel — Caps 312A&B
Nelson Trees, Race Director
Hendra Wijaya — Cap 83

Visit our website to stay up to date on future Mountain Races

Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky

Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.