The Mountain Races Podcast

The 2026 Hellenic Mountain Race is underway. We wasted no time showing riders what they signed up, ascending a 1,200-metre climb straight off the start. Rolling out of Agios Athanasios, riders are quickly dropped into the adventure, surrounded by alpine tundra and snow drifts. In this episode we transport you to the side of this first mountain pass, before catching up with riders resupplying and the first to arrive at CP1.

• Colombine Courouble – Cap 33
• Andy Lingham – Cap 15
• Stephane Ouaja – Cap 156
• Femke van Kessel – Cap 55
• Albert Schmidt – Cap 04
• Remco Van Gestel – Cap 137
• Florian Wille – Cap 210A
• Jara Giraud – Cap 81
• Declan O’Leary – Cap 30
• Rick Steffen – Cap 141
• Benedek Borsos – Cap 22
• Max Riese – Cap 120
• Abe Kaufman – Cap 01

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

Production & hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Visit our website to learn more about The Mountain Races

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

The fourth edition of Hellenic Mountain Race has finally arrived. We gathered in Agios Athanasios for the usual registration day proceedings. Hear from our riders, along with Nelson Trees.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Sabrina Ste-Marie — Cap 206A
• Christina Chappetta — Cap 206B
• Abe Kaufman — Cap 001
• Kristen Tonsager — Cap 096
• Mateusz Wąsowski — Cap 115
• Benedek Borsos — Cap 022
• Colombine Courouble — Cap 033
• Cynthia Carson — Cap 037
• Gala Giannini — Cap 062
• Josh Ibbett — Cap 088
• Marc Büchel — Cap 106
• Max Riese — Cap 120
• Jeff Hehn — Cap 214A
• Sarah Robbins — Cap 214B

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

Production & hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Visit our website to learn more about The Mountain Races

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

Hellenic Mountain Race begins Saturday May 23rd at 09:00 local time. This year we start in Agios Athanasios, a picturesque stone village in the north. We'll be on the ground throughout the racing, bringing you visual updates on Instagram and our daily race podcast.

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

Production & hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

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

At long last, we arrive at the finish line of the sixth edition of the Atlas Mountain Race. We hear from our riders arriving in Essaouira about their stories from the road.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Darragh Cushen — Cap 52
• Martino Basilico — Cap 11
• Luise Ollick — Cap 162
• Gala Giannini — Cap 81
• Patrick Schwarz — Cap 191
• Greg Martin — Cap 307A
• Rebecca Rusch — Cap 307B
• Silas Schmid — Cap 189
• James Illman — Cap 109
• David Tilly — Cap 214
• John Roe — Cap 184
• Murray Crichton — Cap 47

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

Production and hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Cover image by Stephen Shelesky

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

We sit down with 2026 women’s winner Cynthia Carson following her second victory at the Atlas Mountain Race.

Returning with more experience and a clear plan, Cynthia used this race as the opening chapter of a season in which she’s racing all four Mountain Races. Finishing in 5 days, 5 hours, and 2 minutes, she rode with patience and composure across a longer course marked by more extreme weather than in 2024.

In this conversation, we reflect on her preparation, her mindset, and how staying committed to her own strategy shaped her race from start to finish.

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

Production and hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Cover image by Stephen Shelesky

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

After days of mountains and desert, riders cross back over the Atlas one last time, descending through fog and green hills toward the Atlantic coast. The air shifts, the ocean comes into view, and the end begins to feel within reach.

In this episode, we hear from riders in the final kilometres before rolling into the finish line.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Thierry Le Floch— Cap 125
• Kevin Masicotte— Cap 142
• Tanner Jackson — Cap 112
• Aurélie & Jérôme Mesplede — Caps 317A&B
• Paul Cresveaux — Cap 302B
• Nicole Van Batenburg — Cap 221
• Emma Missale & Sean Geivett — Caps 309A&B

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 Nils Laengner

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

We've jumped forward to the finish line to catch up with our men's winner, Victor Bosoni. The young French rider won this year's race in a time of 4 days, 1 hour and 46 minutes. We sat down in the Medina of Essalouira to hear all about his ride: the highs, the lows and how prioritising rest throughout allowed him to not only race to his fullest potential, but to enjoy the experience to its fullest as well.

As Victor's first language is French, we cover a few questions in both French and English.

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 Stephen Shelesky

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

The Old Colonial Road is one of the most iconic sections of the Atlas Mountain Race route, featured across all six editions. Carved into the mountainside, it winds through folded layers of sedimentary rock, the earth rippling in bands of rust and ochre. From a distance the surface appears smooth; up close it is loose, and badly broken in places from erosion. Many riders will rider it at night, missing out on the views. At sunrise, the scale of the landscape comes fully into view and for the lucky few who see it at daylight, it will no doubt be a highlight of their race.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Niki de Kadt — Cap 56
• JoJo Blunt — Cap 19
• Gala Giannini — Cap 81
• Ariane Richter — Cap 179
• Jeannie & Martin Dreyer — Caps 306A&B
• Darragh Cushen — Cap 52
• John Roe— Cap 184
• Adrienne Estrada — Cap 68
• Sebastian Sarx & Denise Vorberg — Caps 320A & 320B
• Bastien Girard Nkouikani — Cap 82
• Richard Hunt — Cap 107
• David Tilly — Cap 217
• Cedric Henriot — Cap 90

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 Nils Laengner

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

Checkpoint Two: the halfway mark of the Atlas Mountain Race.

Riders descend out of the desert and into an oasis of palms, couscous, showers, and stamped brevet cards. For some, arrival brings relief. For others, difficult decisions. Ankles, batteries, bottom brackets, and nerves are all negotiated in equal measure.

We hear from riders resetting body and mind, celebrating birthdays, managing setbacks, and chasing the cutoff as the clock ticks toward 17:00. By day’s end, 163 riders make it in before time, the snail still moving steadily behind.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Emma & Sean — Caps 309A&B
• Paul Cresveaux — Cap 302B
• Adrienne Estrada — Cap 68
• Conor Dunne — Cap 64
• JoJo Blunt — Cap 19
• Jeannie & Martin — Caps 306A&B
• Darragh Cushen — Cap 52
• David Tilly — Cap 214
• Kari Bergstedt — Cap 13
• Matthieu Segard — Cap 193
• Hannah Larbalestier — Cap 124
• Jake Simpson — Cap 197
• Matt Franklin — Cap 73

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 Stephen Shelesky

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

One of the most famous sections of the Atlas Mountain Race is the 100KM stretch of no resupply through the desert. Here riders meander through the Anti Atlas, climbing their way up to a plateau with stunning views of the network of canyons below. We meet riders chasing the snail here.

We also hear from riders at Café Atlas in Ait Saoun which has become a popular stop for riders, and potentially the best omelette of the whole race.

Riders featured in this episode:

• Zoe McIntosh — Cap 144
• Andy Dodd — Cap 61
• Julien Gravaud — Cap 89
• John Roe — Cap 184
• Cedric Henriot — Cap 98
• Roz Osborne — Cap 163
• Eoin Cocoran — Cap 205
• Julia Wuerzinger — Cap 232
• Erin Poland — Cap 308B
• Jono Freeman — Cap 308A
• Neil Copeland — Cap 43
• Matthew Franklin — Cap 73
• Gala Giannini — Cap 81

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 Nils Laengner

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