As the Silk Road Mountain Race winds toward its conclusion, the final loop around Karakol brings riders close to the finish only to send them back out again along the Kazakh border. The route follows the Karkara River, climbs over a nameless pass, and then takes on Chon Ashuu, one last high mountain pass at over 3,800 meters. From there, riders still face 100 kilometers before they can finally roll into Karakol.

In this episode, we hear from riders making their way through these final days — moments of exhaustion and doubt, but also joy, beauty, and the small encounters that become unforgettable along the way.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Harry Fletcher — Cap 82
• Niel Copeland — Cap 142
• Ethan Washam — Cap 64
• Eric House — Cap 62
• Annie Dunlap — Cap 16
• Melina Boening — Cap 133
• Role Strauss — Cap 169
• Shekoo Raja — Cap 176
• Nol Van Loon — Cap 146

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

Production and hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Music by Batyrkan

Cover image by Lloyd Wright

Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. 

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

In this episode of the Mountain Races Podcast, we sit down at the finish line with Meaghan Hackinen women’s winner of the 2025 Silk Road Mountain Race and 10th overall. She completed the 1,924km route in 9 days, 4 hours, and 6 minutes, capping off a season where she became the first woman to finish all three Mountain Races in a single year.

A Canadian ultra-distance cyclist and writer, Meaghan’s path to this milestone is anything but conventional — from roller derby and long-distance touring to record-setting rides across North America. Along the way she has collected FKTs, a women’s win at the 2024 Tour Divide, and podiums across Atlas, Hellenic, and now Silk Road.

Marking her 40th birthday in style, Meaghan reflects on her ride at the Silk Road Mountain Race and her year at the Mountain Races. 

Click here to Dotwatch the race

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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.

Now reporting on the 12th day of racing, the finish line is becoming busier with each passing day. Riders arrive from what we hope has been the adventure of a lifetime through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. On the final loop, riders skirt around Karakol, passing just by the finish before being sent once more into the wilds. The route follows the Karkara river along the Kazakh border and out into the striking Eshkilitash valley before returning at last to Karakol via Chon pass (3860m).

It’s a huge mountain to climb, though the gradient is kind, and if they glance back over their shoulders, they’ll see a wall of jagged, snow-capped peaks etched against the sky. It’s here that we meet many of our riders, cresting the final pass before the descent toward Karakol.

We also hear from our women's podium of Leanne Bentley, Sami Sauri and Meaghan Hackinen.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Jono Elliott — Cap 99
• Ciaran Lundy — Cap 305A
• Carlotta Schumacher — Cap 31
• Felipe Duque — Cap 70
• Stephen Hurdley — Cap 183
• Niels Ihrman — Cap 143
• Leanne Bentley — Cap 116
• Sami Sauri — Cap 174
• Meaghan Hackinen — Cap 132

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

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.

On Day 11 of the Silk Road Mountain Race, we meet riders again as they reach Checkpoint 3 on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. After more than 1,400 kilometers, they’ve endured a lot, and may be tempted by the allure of the checkpoint. For some, the checkpoint becomes a vortex, holding them longer than planned. For others, it’s a fleeting stop before setting out again into the mountains.

Beyond CP3, the road climbs once more into Tranquility Valley before sending riders over Juku Pass and into the final loop around Karakol along the Kazakh border. 

Riders featured in this episode: 

• Sandor Boros — Cap 175
• Britt Shalagan — Cap 128
• Alden Roth — Cap 5
• Roz Osborne — Cap 171
• Melina Boning — Cap 133
• Tony Ramenda — Cap 199
• William & Marius — Caps 317A&B
• Cat Magill — Cap 33
• Dominik Hini — Cap 59
• Jongha Pak — Cap 100
• Teddie Vidolova — Cap 188
• Shekhoo Raja — Cap 176
• Armin Brunner — Cap 19
• Rodrigo Carazo — Cap 167
• David Hills — Cap 50
• Annie Webster — Cap 17
• Carlotta Schumacher — Cap 31

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

Production and hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Music by Batyrkan

Cover image by Lloyd Wright

Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. 

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

On the 10th day of racing, the route winds through a crossroads at kilometers 1191, 1347, and 1497 — a place where riders pass three times, each at a different moment in their race. Here, tracks converge and brief encounters are exchanged: a word of encouragement, a story from the road, before paths diverge again. To one side lies the easier descent to Tamga and an early end to their race; to the other, the remote 200-kilometer loop, rough and demanding, yet essential for those pressing on all the way to Karakol.

To begin and end the loop, riders traverse Arabel Plateau and over Suyek Pass at 4,020 meters. Suyek means “bone” in Kyrgyz — a name tied to the tragedy of 1916, when thousands lost their lives fleeing across these mountains. The pass leads riders into the wide, open expanse of the Upper Naryn Valley, one of race director Nelson Trees’ favourite landscapes in Kyrgyzstan.

Riders featured in this episode: 

• Kayla Hall — Cap 110
• Rob Waller — Cap 162
• Konrad Kowara — Cap 112
• Nol Van Loon — Cap 146
• Dennis Stegeman — Cap 55
• Danielle Coffman — Cap 122
• Marcus Baguley — Cap 124
• Sandor Boros — Cap 175
• Ethan Washam — Cap 64
• Caroline Prigent — Cap 32
• Matteo Garbellini — Cap 128
• Alessandra Bussolli — Cap 6
• Murray Crichton — Cap 139
• Daniel and Stefan — Caps 307A & 307B
• Annie Dunlap — Cap 16
• Tobias Callister — Cap 196
• Natalie Anderson — Cap 319A

Click here to Dotwatch the race

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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.

On day nine of the Silk Road Mountain Race, we follow riders as they climb Tosor Pass — one of the highest and most rideable passes on the route. The shifting weather, dramatic landscapes, and long climbs test both body and mind as riders make their way into the final quarter of the race.

Back at CP3, we hear from pairs and solo riders managing their race in different ways. And finally, we return to Karakol, where Meaghan Hackinen arrives as the women’s winner, completing all three Mountain Races in a single season with the second-fastest cumulative time overall.

Riders Featured

• Claus-Henning Schulke - Cap 40
• Julien Merle - Cap 104
• Michal Ozogan - Cap 136
• Julien Hamelin - Cap 186
• Anton Kollegin - Cap 18
• Sorachi Sakai - Cap 181
• James Roberts - Cap 92
• Sebastian & Daniel - Caps 306A&B
• Thomas Quirk - Cap 194
• Meaghan Hackinen - Cap 132

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

Production and hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Music by Batyrkan

Cover image by Lloyd Wright

Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. 

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

In this episode, we sit down with Robin Gemperle, winner of the 2025 Silk Road Mountain Race. Finishing in 6 days, 20 hours and 36 minutes, Robin set the pace from the very start, steadily building a gap that no one could close.

At just 29 years old, the Swiss rider has quickly established himself among the very best in the sport, with a palmarès that includes the Atlas Mountain Race, Transcontinental Race, and a sub-12 day Tour Divide. Now he adds a win at Silk Road Mountain Race to that list.

Recorded the day after his finish, Robin shares his reflections on his winning ride.

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

Production and hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Music by Batyrkan

Cover image by Lloyd Wright

Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. 

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

Day seven of the Silk Road Mountain Race brings Control Car 2 to Tamga and the calm shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. After days of snow, mud, and cold at altitude, the descent into the valley feels like a different world. Riders arrive to shade, trees, and the rare luxury of a proper guesthouse meal — a short pause to wash clothes, patch gear, and reset before heading back into the mountains for the final push.

At Checkpoint Three, we hear the relief of riders as they catch their breath, take stock of what’s left, and prepare for the road ahead. We also meet many of our chasing riders on the cross-over point on the course.

Riders featured in this episode

• Alex Kopp - Cap 9
• Meaghan Hackinen - Cap 132
• Johannes Stanten - Cap 98
• Sylvain Loup - Cap 187
• Rodolph Rainteau - Cap 166
• Sami Sauri - Cap 174
• Leanne Bentley - Cap 116
• Tomas Hadamek - Cap 198
• Victor Eklund - Cap 205

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

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.

On day six, the Silk Road Mountain Race has reached the wide expanse of the Burkhan Valley and the steep switchbacks of Arabel Pass. It's an endless valley, with hundreds of kilometers of no resupply, made longer this year with a right hand turn after Arabel Plateau and a 200km loop up and over the second Suyek Pass.

The conditions changed quickly. Sunlight in the valley gave way to storms at altitude, snow sweeping across the plateau and visibility dropping to almost nothing. Riders pressed on through whiteouts, frozen shoes, and river crossings, while others took much-needed rest. Alongside them, our control cars navigated their own challenges in their pursuit of the leaders.

Riders (and media team) featured in this episode:

• Meaghan Hackinen - Cap 132
• Miron Golfman - Cap 137
• Nelson Trees, Race Director
• "Vlad" Teisseire Wladimir - Cap 189
• Victor Eklund - Cap 205
• Davide Zanardo - Cap 53
• Danil Usmanov, Control Car 3 Photographer
• Kayla Hall - Cap 110
• Nat Anderson - Cap 319A

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

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.

On the fifth day of the Silk Road Mountain Race, many of our riders made their way through the Chinese border zone. Vast grasslands stretch in every direction, hemmed in by jagged ranges that feel impossibly large. Rusting fences, distant watchtowers, and the hum of trucks passing through mark the frontier, but otherwise this is a place that feels almost untouched.

For riders, this stretch comes what will no doubt become the infamous Suyek Pass hike—thirty kilometers of rivers, scree, and thin air at over 4,000 meters. They arrive to the border road carrying stories of frozen shoes, broken chains, nights of snow and cold, but also of wild horses and sunlit valleys, and many moments that make the effort feel worthwhile. 

Riders featured in this episode

• Victor Eklund - Cap 205
• Oliver Geiger - Cap 149
• Maarten Vanhaverbeke - Cap 122
• Sami Sauri - Cap 174
• Leanne Bentley - Cap 116
• David Hills - Cap 50
• Nikolaay Bulgakov - Cap 145
• Carlotta Schumacher - Cap 31
• Stefan & Helene - Caps 312A & 312B
• Michael Gaffey - Cap 135
• Eric House - Cap 62

Click here to Dotwatch the race

Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates

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.