Ultra races are never the same for two people. The stories and memories you create during a race are unique and if you ever have the fortune to listen to other riders’ stories at the finish line you will leave with a smile on your face.
The amount of creativity and grit people find in order to finish a race is astonishing. Hearing how people approach different situations in an unsupported bikepacking race is mind blowing.
Seeing the wild mix of characters that show up is unbelievable in itself. From the serious (Ex-)Pro Cyclist all the way to the “free spirit” that travelled all over the world and has the craziest stories to tell. Ultras always provide emotional and captivating stories.
This is part 1 of 2 giving you perspectives and advice on the race from 4 riders of the 2026 Atlas Mountain Race.
The Atlas Mountain Race is one of the toughest events on the bikepacking calendar and it provides good dotwatching for so many reasons. A world-class field, relentlessly challenging course, fierce weather conditions from freezing and icy roads to dry and hot, sandy desert. The landscapes are surreal. Sometimes you might wonder if the pictures had been stolen from NASA’s Mars Rover.
Most inspiring is probably the culture and heritage, the kindness and hospitality of Morocco’s people. All the small factors add up and make the race so popular.
Well, and then there’s the Nelson Trees factor. You can never predict what’s going to happen in the race. Extreme weather, collapsing paths, unexpected hike-a-bikes. The man made himself a name and he is working hard to keep it.
We are happy to present 4 different perspectives on the race for you in this article from Kerry MacPhee, Adam Jordan, Zoe McIntosh and myself Max Riese. We hope you enjoy the stories, the different minds and their approaches and hopefully they inspire you to make that dream of your own bikepacking adventure (no matter if racing or not) a reality!
Kerry MacPhee
Moments of challenge & joy
What was the hardest part of the race and what the most enjoyable or rewarding moment?
The race was bookended by challenge for me - firstly dealing with all the comedians on the start line and on the first climb remarking that "I must have brought the Scottish weather with me to Morocco".
I think I did a pretty good job of laughing each time as if it was the first time I was hearing it :-)
The weather was indeed wild that first night. Heavy rain followed by freezing conditions. Near the top (around 2800m) the road was pure ice and I turned a corner into a buffeting wind that brought me down like a sack of potatoes - I really hurt my knee and shoulder.
I also managed to completely deflate my tire trying to let air out for grip because my paws were so cold. I froze to the core playing with a pump that broke on me and really had a hellish time getting going again.
The sore knee came with me for the rest of the ride and was nursed round with far more soft pedalling than I'd have liked but that's the way it goes in Ultra.
I was delighted I got through purely because of the discomfort I was feeling a lot of the time. Everything else was sheer joy, wonder and awe at Morocco's beauty and the kindness and curiosity of those I met.
The last 100km was tough too. I'd lost my charging cables at CP2 (idiot!). As the race went on (and after finding a plug to buy in a shop) my stops got longer just to charge stuff on a very rubbish plug.
It was painful sitting in Immousine watching 3 guys arrive as I sat charging lights. I'd also gotten lost en route to Immousine after my Coros went flat - I cried then remembered I was 1300km in so this was easy to figure out, haha!
That last 100km through the night was a different kind of discomfort. I don't know how I did it but it was emotional to finish for sure.
Pacing and strategy
Did you follow a strict pacing plan or just go with the flow? How did that work out?
I didn't come in with an out and out strategy. Whilst I've won every ultra I've completed in the UK, Atlas felt like a big step up in terms of distance, challenge and foreignness so I came ready to make mistakes and ready to learn.
I still feel quite new to ultra though I have a background in racing XC and love to push and animate.
I've entered Silk Road so chose to use Atlas to:
- Understand my bike systems (Where I put things)
- How I respond to stress (I lose things so have to be cognisant of this)
- If my tools are up to the job (My pump sucks)
- How my body reacts (I can pedal till the cows come home)
- My nutrition (I need to eat more)
- How I should pace (Still trying to figure this out)
I achieved my goal of learning, meeting myself where I'm at and have come away motivated and hungry to put this into practice.
Race overview
Overall, how did it go? Did the AMR match your expectations?
I've really been enjoying reading people's race reports on Instagram - it feels like everyone is at a loss to describe Atlas in a way that truly reflects the undertaking - It's a piece of magic.
Abundantly beautiful, constantly changing, super fragrant and overwhelming in so many ways.
There were moments when I'd be tearing down an incredible descent and just be looking over the edge of an abyss thinking yup, that's a big drop! Other times I'd be in awe of a small village and oasis with homes precariously positioned and a tiny shop offering relief from my thirst.
Some of the climbs were savage in the midday heat - the Moroccan Stelvio for instance, I felt like I crawled up that!
Local discoveries
What amazed or surprised you about Morocco along the route – the people, landscape, food?
I couldn't get over how good some of the roads are! And the riding - it was incredible. To the point that I think I'd rather come to Morocco for a wee training camp than somewhere off Spain.
That Stelvio climb was something else!
Also the people - there was a real warmth from Moroccan people that I loved.
I grew up on a small island in the Outer Hebrides off the West coast of Scotland and I remember when I lived there feeling curious about why people would come to the Hebrides by bike in the buffeting wind and rain, not really appreciating the beauty of my home.
I sensed that curiosity from Moroccans in those more rural places too.
I stopped at a petrol station at 11pm one night and there was a group of men playing cards. I put some stuff on charge (they wouldn't take extra money), had some omelette and crisps and I'd be curiously watching them and I'd catch them watching me and we parted with a Bon Voyage!
That image of the card players and their curiosity feels embedded. I wish I could have spoken with them in Arabic.
It must have been a confusing sight to them – a random girl rolling up eating eggs and crisps, dressed in lycra and asking to use the only socket the place had.
Funny or memorable story
I can't wrap my head around the random set up on top of the penultimate big climb after CP3 - a woman with juices, snacks, boiled eggs and Amlou at the top of a massive off-road climb.
Of course I stopped for a tepid coffee and Amlou on bread and laughed at my lack of racing brain - I had to charge stuff and should really have stopped at the next cafe I came upon, not up there.
But it was such a cool wee set up.
I showed her the dots and tried to figure out if she was there because of the race (surely she was?!) but between my broken French and her Arabic we never got to the bottom of it.
The bottle of Sprite and sandwich was amazing.
I still can't figure out how she hauled everything up there but it was an absolute delight to come across and I have no regrets spending time there.
The wind on day 2 was something else too – holy moly!
It was scary on the road but once in the desert it felt more acceptable to get blown off your bike.
It was an absolute battle but also the moment where I sat up and thought:
"Holy smokes, I'm in the Atlas Mountain Race and this is flipping incredible! This is a proper adventure!"
I also had a moment on the long sandy section after CP3. I skidded out on the sand and was just lying there in the middle of the night on my back looking up at the stars thinking – wow – what a sight!
I psyched myself out massively en route to CP2 too.
On my RideWithGPS profile it looked like CP2 was closer than it actually was and it took an age to get to and was a bigger and windier climb than I anticipated.
I didn't eat enough and on the big off-road climb I got scared that I'd bonk or start seeing stars so I thought I was being smart by taking a napsleep on the climb.
It was so windy that my sleeping bag blew away and I was already in my bivvy so I was hopping about trying not to get out of my bivvy and mat and get to my sleeping bag.
Utter chaos.
I managed a wee windy sleep but it was a daft spot and definitely a moment where course knowledge would have informed me of the flat, sheltered spot a little up ahead.
Bike & gear
What bike and equipment did you bring and why? Any surprises about its performance?
I rode my trusty Genesis Mantle MTB with Shimano XTR mechanical.
My frame is 7 years old now and I love this bike. My wheels are getting on a bit now too – DT Swiss 1200s – but in Scotland we say:
"Run what you brung."
Those are my tools and they work just fine.
I rode Vittoria Peyote 2.4 tyres which were dreamy. No punctures except the ones I gave myself (twice) because I faffed with the valve.
At the last moment I bought some aero bars at Decathlon in Scotland for around £45 and I'm so glad I did. I loved the change of position and ability to rest a little on the long straights.
My bag set‑up is all Restrap which I absolutely love. I used the aero front roll which doubled as a picnic table and jacket stash.
I had an incident last year where my bike got washed away in a river during Highland Trail so opted to carry my sleep kit in a Restrap rolltop.
I regretted this a little when the temps soared but overall the bag is so comfy and roomy that I have to work hard not to fill it up just because I can!
Takeaways & advice
Looking back, what did you learn about yourself, the race and ultra bikepacking?
The dangerous thing about ultra and what makes it addictive is the feeling of always learning so much about yourself, your kit and your riding – and feeling like there is always so much to refine and improve to make you faster.
It keeps me hooked.
I have many things to work on and I think I'm also quite easily distracted and forget I'm in a race sometimes.
I don't want to ruin these adventures by having a miserable time turning myself inside out trying to win, but I also love to race and push so I need to find this balance.
I get scared of blowing up too so I think I err on riding cautiously a lot – which may not be a bad thing.
I'm feeling motivated to refine for Silk Road and I'm hungry for more ultra. I reckon that's a pretty cool position to be in.
Adam Jordan
Moments of challenge & joy
What was the hardest part of the race, and what was the most enjoyable or rewarding moment?
The race was beautiful, but also very tough more often than not. I suffered a lot on the afternoon of day one, when time just didn’t seem to move and I simply wasn’t feeling good. At that point, I was convinced I was going to scratch. I arrived at a grocery store in Afra completely mentally shattered.
Because I was so sure I would scratch, I ended up sleeping for a full 8 hours that night and then had a very slow morning as well. After around 11 hours of staying still, I decided to give it another try and that day actually felt okay.
An even harder moment came later, when I actually did scratch on the morning after leaving CP3. I had a fever, and I knew it wasn’t worth the risk to keep pushing.
There were also some amazing moments. One that really stayed with me was riding Colonial Road at sunrise. It was probably one of the most beautiful places on the race route to experience at that time of day. I did run out of water at the top, which made it a bit less magical — haha — but it was still unforgettable.
Pacing and strategy
Did you follow a strict pacing plan, or just go with the flow?
Anyone who knows me knows I like to stick to my own pace, strategy, and watts. Not having a power meter on the bike put me in unknown territory, so I had to rely mostly on feel and heart rate, which is quite hard in an ultra.
How did that work out?
I don’t think it worked as smoothly as I would have liked. After riding with a power meter for five years, going without one felt, at times, like racing blind. It definitely taught me an important lesson for the future.
Race overview
Overall, how did it go, and did AMR match your expectations?
The race didn’t go as planned. I came there with a clear goal, but not in the best mental state. That showed throughout the race, as I was struggling to get through tougher moments that I would normally handle much more easily.
I think that, combined with a few other things, just caused the whole system to overload and that was the point when my body clearly told me it needed rest.
That said, the race made me want to come back even more. I really enjoyed the country and the atmosphere, and I’m sure I’ll return to do it again in the near future.
Local discoveries
What amazed or surprised you about Morocco along the route — the people, the landscape, the food?
Morocco felt like a completely new world to me. I had never experienced such a strong sense of flow inside what looks like chaos. Things somehow run smoothly, and people seem to enjoy simple lives while also being incredibly generous.
The food was always amazing, although at some point I definitely started craving something different than an omelette or a tagine 😂
One thing I wish had been different is that I could have experienced the High Atlas and the snow during daylight. Even without that, the nature and landscape were stunning. From snow, to desert, to the seaside, to greenery — you really experience everything.
I do have to say, I was especially happy when I saw the oasis. In all those rocky colors, it felt a bit more like home.
Funny or memorable story
Any moments from the race that made you laugh, shake your head, or remember forever?
My most memorable moment was definitely searching for the right track in the middle of a riverbed at 5am, just before reaching Colonial Road.
Another unforgettable moment came during the first night and into the following day, when the wind was insanely strong. At one point I had to push my bike on the road because the wind was too strong to actually ride. Definitely a first for me.
Bike & gear
What bike and equipment did you bring, and why? Any surprises about its performance?
For the race, I used a new unreleased bike from 3T, equipped with SRAM Transmission. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it performed.
The only thing I would change is adding a suspension seatpost, just to get through the rocky climbs with a bit less movement on the saddle. It’s also worth noting that the first 300 km were on the road, and I’m curious how this would have affected the later stages of the route, particularly in terms of comfort, if we had followed the original route.
I packed everything in a full frame bag, top tube bag, and saddle bag from Miss Grape. My favorite part of the kit was definitely the rain pants, which I bought two days before traveling. They absolutely saved me during the first night.
A detailed list of the additional gear I brought:
Sleep gear
- Therm-a-Rest Vesper Quilt 20F
- Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT Sleeping Pad
- Emergency bivy
- Sleeping mask
- Ear plugs
- Inflatable pillow
Cycling clothing
- Short bibs and jersey
- Long-sleeve jersey
- Windproof vest
- Leg and arm warmers
- Rain pants
- 2x merino layers (short and long)
- Base layer
- 2x pairs of merino socks
- 1x pair of aero socks
- Santini Guard Neos jacket
- 2x pairs of gloves
Other equipment
- Decathlon warming pads
- Aluminium foil
- Plugs
- Multitool
- Spare brake pads
- Spare tubes
- Tyre boot kit
- Gerber Dime
Health
- Chlorine tablets
- Painkillers
- Imodium
- Probiotics
- First aid kit
- Chamois cream
Fuel
- Nutrition from 226ERS
Takeaways & advice
What did you learn about yourself, the race, and ultra bikepacking? Any tips for someone attempting something similar for the first time?
Atlas taught me a lot. The biggest lesson was how important the mental approach is for these kinds of events. Being mentally ready and not already drained by everything happening before the race affects
your mood during the race just as much as it does before the start.
Another thing I’ll definitely try to do in future long races is take a shower whenever possible. Your chamois and your body really appreciate it.
For anyone doing this kind of event for the first time, I’d say: Approach it with excitement for what you’re going to experience.
It really feels like an expedition, and that’s exactly how it should feel. Try to enjoy it while you’re there, because it passes by very quickly.
And definitely don’t forget to wash your chamois 😬
