The Mountain Races Podcast

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 rol...

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 p...

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...

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, t...

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...

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...

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, Transcontine...

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 fina...

 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 al...

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 w...

Four days into the Silk Road Mountain Race, the field is now stretched across hundreds of kilometers. Leaders have already passed through Checkpoint Two at Kezgin Guesthouse, while much of the pack is still making their way over the Suyek Pass, the last major obstacle before reaching the valley near the Chinese border. Tucked away in a stunning valley, surrounded by towering peaks, Checkpoint Two...

Sitting in the shadow of the towering Peak Lenin, Checkpoint One at Topol Camp feels like a real refuge. At 3,600 meters, the yellow tents stand against the wind, the alpine lakes reflect the mountains above, and riders arrive carrying stories from the road. It’s just over 300 kilometers into the route, but already they’ve faced long hike-a-bikes, icy river crossings, and the reality of altitude....

The first full day of the Silk Road Mountain Race is behind us. From Osh, riders faced over 6,000 meters of climbing in just 300 kilometers en route to Checkpoint One at Peak Lenin Base Camp. For some, that meant pushing on through the night. Others chose to rest early and save energy for the long road ahead. In this episode, we follow riders up the tight switchbacks of the Koy-Djul Pass topping o...

Our podcast coverage begins in Osh as the Silk Road Mountain Race moves from registration day through to the race start. Riders gather in the theatre to collect trackers, check their bikes, and receive Albion race caps printed with their numbers, along with t-shirts, socks and goodies from our partners Pertex and Styrkr. The atmosphere is a mix of excitement and nerves—quiet conversations punctuat...

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the 2025 Silk Road Mountain Race, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex ,  STYRKR and Julbo . The Silk Road Mountain Race returns for its seventh edition with more than 700 kilometres of new, remote, and rarely travelled terrain. In this episode, Media Manager Mel Webb sits down with Race Director Nelson Trees to break down the 2025 route and preview the st...

The Silk Road Mountain Race , created by Nelson Trees , is a self-supported bikepacking race through the remote mountains of Kyrgyzstan. The seventh edition kicks off on Friday August 15th at 6PM local time from in front of Mayor's Hall in Osh, Kyrgyzstan. Riders will have until midnight on August 30th to reach the finish line in Karakol. We'll be bringing you daily updates from the field thr...

After more than a week in the Pindus Mountains, the 2025 Hellenic Mountain Race draws to a close in the seaside town of Nafpaktos. Riders have been arriving over the past few days—unwinding by the water, sharing stories, and slowly beginning to process what just happened out there. In our final episode from Greece, we do our best to capture that feeling. We catch up with riders between swims and i...

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the third Hellenic Mountain Race, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR.   In this episode, we sit down with Meaghan Hackinen, the women's winner of the 2025 Hellenic Mountain Race. Meaghan crossed the finish line in 4 days, 7 hours, and 10 minutes—over ten hours faster than last year’s winning time—landing her in ninth place overall on the gener...

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the third Hellenic Mountain Race, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR.   The finish line is finally within reach. After nearly a week on the road and collecting their third stamp, riders are faced with one big final push: 190 km with 6,300 meters of climbing. The most technical terrain is behind them, but this section holds the highest climbing...

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the third Hellenic Mountain Race, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR.   We sit down with Alex McCormack, the 2025 Hellenic Mountain Race winner, just days after his ride to the sea. Alex reflects on his back-and-forth battle with Anatole Naimi, the unrelenting nature of the course, and what it took to hold on for the win. He shares thoughts on...

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the third Hellenic Mountain Race, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR.   By Day 5 of the Hellenic Mountain Race, everyone is feeling it. Fatigue is universal, moods are mixed, and the weather, like the terrain, has it's own ups and downs. In this episode we start at Checkpoint 2 for some of the final riders to arrive ahead of the time cutoff. F...

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the third Hellenic Mountain Race, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR.   Tucked into the mountains at the halfway point of the race, Checkpoint 2 has a kind of gravity to it. The views are big, the vibes are laid back, and time starts to melt for everyone who enters the compound. In today’s episode, reporting from the fourth day of the day, a m...

Welcome to our podcast coverage of the third Hellenic Mountain Race, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR.   All of our riders have now passed Checkpoint 1 and collected their first stamp. Checkpoint 1 marks a key moment in the Hellenic Mountain Race. It’s the first validation official validation of their effort so far and a place to reset, refuel, and reflect. Set in the mountai...

Welcome to the Hellenic Mountain Race Podcast, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR. Day two of the Hellenic Mountain Race unfolded under clearer skies, but the lingering mud, fatigue, and technical challenges left little doubt—this race is as tough as it is beautiful. Riders pushed through sodden forests, ancient staircases, and one of the course’s most breathtaking zones: the Vitsa...

Welcome to the Hellenic Mountain Race Podcast, supported by Albion , Tailfin , Pertex and STYRKR. The third edition of the Hellenic Mountain Race kicks off beneath the cliffs of Meteora as nearly 200 riders embark on an epic journey into the Pindus mountains. In this episode, we hear from a diverse cast of riders, Control Car 3 spending time the day intercepting the midpack. It's early days and mo...