Finding Rhythm in Morocco: Home Stretch on the 2025 Atlas Mountain Race

Photos by Nils Laengner, Lloyd Wright and Stephen Shelesky

Three days into the Atlas Mountain Race, the field has spread out, riders have settled into their rhythms, and the race is well and truly unfolding. I’ve been following the race from Control Car 3, moving along the course with a focus on the mid-pack while reporting on the entire field. It’s been a whirlwind of long days, early mornings, late nights, and constant movement—chasing stories, tracking riders, and trying to capture the moments that define this event.

This time last year, I was on the other side of things. I’ve had so many moments throughout the race when I’ve been brought back to last year’s race. I raced Atlas in 2024, and after Taznakht, things unraveled for me in a big way. I got Shermer’s Neck and had to walk nearly 40 kilometers to checkpoint two. Today, as we drove through that same stretch, I saw exactly where it happened and was pretty overwhelmed with emotions. But that’s the nature of this race. It gives you moments of absolute beauty and moments where everything feels impossible. Most riders are experiencing a blurry mix of both at this point in the race.

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Riders Finding Their Rhythm

By day three, the initial shock has worn off, and decisions have become more deliberate—when to push, when to rest, how to manage energy for the long haul.

“There are many ways you can experience these races,” said Cap 184 Niel Copeland. “Just racing it flat-out isn’t the only way or the right way for a lot of people. So, I’m just showing that you can put in some good pace but not stress too much about it—stop when you want to and have a really great time.”

Others are still figuring out the balance. Cap 169 Jeff Lou reflected on a particularly long first day, “I had like a 26-hour day… I really need to be more present and just be here. So I think I’m in a little bit of a better headspace right now.”

Pairs riders have their own dynamic to manage, balancing two bodies, two minds, and sometimes, two different ideas of how to race. Cap 303A Ariane Richter has fully embraced her role in her team. “I’m setting the time, I’m responsible for getting him up and, uh, yeah, that’s my job.”

Marei Moldenhauer continues to widen her gap at the front of the women’s race. She was the first through CP3 at 16:51. She’s had a remarkably short amount of stop time, and is on the final push to the finish. If our calculations are correct, she could be finished in the early hours of Wednesday morning, depending on if she stops to rest. Meaghan Hackinen is still leading the chase, and tackled the colonial road today and is closing in on CP3. At the time of writing Julie Von Grunigen was only 13km behind Meaghan.

The Route and the Ride

It’s hard to overstate how much this landscape shapes the experience. The race route is full of contrasts—smooth, rolling stretches that lull you into a rhythm, followed by steep, technical sections that demand full focus.

“The sunrise over the Atlas was amazing,” said Niel. “I’ve been through here before, and last time, it was really misty, so you got none of the views. Today has just been magical.”

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For Cap 202 Valentina, a morning ride turned unexpectedly emotional. “I started in the dark, like at 4:30 a.m., and then I had the sunrise at 8, and it was beautiful. Amazing. I cried a little.”

The People Along the Way

One of my favorite parts of following this race—both as a racer and a member of the media team—is the generosity of the people along the route. This race runs through remote villages, and time and again, locals welcome riders in with open arms.

Cap 161 Eric House and Cap 141 Alex Kowalski found themselves invited into a home after seeking shade. “This guy came around, this older gentleman, and waved us in. He said, ‘Dormir, manger,’ and we were like, ‘Yeah!’ So he brought us into his little house, made us some tea, some almonds that he grew, some fresh-pressed olive oil that he also grew, and bread, and made a little pallet for us to sleep,” the pair recalled.

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Others are finding small but significant joys along the way. “I actually found gluten-free cookies at a gas station, which was lovely,” said Cap 101 Marei Moldenhauer. “But other than that, I’m eating a lot of sugar and dates, which is also fine.”

And then there are the unexpected challenges. Cap 66 Joachim Lindhardt thought his race was over when his derailleur stopped working—until a group of local mechanics jumped into action. “These four Moroccan guys at the café just jumped out and said, ‘Oh, we’ll try to fix this.’ And maybe 10, 15, 30 minutes later, they had this mega fix. They pulled out the pin to get it to connect with the battery again. And then they found a stick to squeeze in there… So basically, I’m back on the road.”

Reporting from the Race

Being on the media team is a different kind of endurance effort. We’re constantly moving, balancing tight timelines, tracking riders, and trying to be in the right place at the right time. Naturally, seeing us is a morale boost for riders—we’re often the only other people they see out there—but our goal is to document, not intervene.

Atlas is a self-supported race, and that includes emotional support. In hard moments, it takes a lot to resist the urge to say, “You’ve got this, just keep going.” Instead, we stick to questions, letting riders tell their stories in their own way.

As the media manager, my job is to coordinate media efforts across the whole race, ensuring our coverage is balanced and that we’re telling a cohesive story—one that brings the dots on your tracking screen to life.

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One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing how much the community loves and appreciates it—especially the riders’ family members, who follow every update closely. A particularly meaningful aspect for me this year has been our coverage of the women’s field. We’ve been pushing hard to get our reporting as close to 50/50 as possible, and it’s paying off. This is the deepest women’s field we’ve ever had, and they deserve every bit of recognition.

The Finish Line is in Sight

The lead men are on the final stretch. Alex McCormack, Benedek Borsos, and Drikus Coetzee all pushing hard for Essaouira, with the first rider expected to finish Today, Tuesday, February 11. On the women’s side, Marei continues to maintain a strong lead, followed by Meaghan and Julie. After Checkpoint Two closes at 10 a.m., I’ll be headed to the finish line to catch up with our eventual winners.

Further Reading

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