The 2025 Atlas Mountain Race

We met with Nelson Trees, Race Director and creator of The Mountain Series. From ultra bikepacker to devising some of the toughest races on the calendar, we delve into his race ethos and 2025 predictions.

What about the Atlas Mountains drew you in as a race location?

The first thing that drew me to the Atlas Mountains was their incredible rugged beauty. It’s quite a different landscape if you are used to less arid climates. There is an awe-inspiring beauty to the rocky peaks and dusty roads of the Atlas, with a stark contrast between the mountains and the lush oases that you’ll find along the way. Combine this with the rich local culture and its mixture of nomadic Berber and Arabic traditions, and then you’ll have a really special experience. The warmth of the welcome from the people living in these mountains is unique.

The Mountain Series is famous for its spectacular routes; how do you start putting together a race like Atlas?

Piecing together the route for something like Atlas is quite an undertaking. It starts with spending a lot of time poring over maps and other online resources, trying to get a feel for the place and the potential highlights on the route. You also have to think about the logistics of the race. The locations and the experiences on offer come first, but you must also ensure that the whole route makes sense and is reasonably accessible for both the rider and the race team. Then comes the time to scout the route out on the ground—many places were discovered this way. The second checkpoint, for example, is nestled in a beautiful, palm-filled valley that definitely doesn’t get much visibility online. I stumbled across it almost by accident, knowing immediately that it needed to be included. Ultimately, it’s a mixture of plenty of planning, trial and error, and time spent physically exploring these mountains.

Can you tell us a bit about your background in Ultra Racing and how that influences your races?

I got into Ultra Racing with the Transcontinental Race. After racing it three times, I knew that I wanted to organise my own events. I started out with the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan. This was a country I knew would be an incredible place to take riders to after having first visited it when I rode from Shanghai to Paris back in 2013. I think that more than the racing background, one of the big things that I take with me when organising these races is my background in mountaineering. I see the bike as a tool to explore vast areas. It’s more about taking people on an adventure to places they might not have thought otherwise. This does mean that I sometimes stay a little towards the limits of what others might include in a bikepacking race, but it always has to be worth the effort. However, I’d never include anything simply to make a race harder.

What’s been your biggest lesson in making the leap from racer to organiser?

The biggest takeaway may be the diversity of riders who take on these challenges. The community is one of the most incredible things about these races. They attract a diverse but positive and welcoming group of people. It can be a bit more challenging because you have to put yourself in their shoes when planning a race. My tolerance for taking my bike to somewhat inappropriate places is pretty high, so I have to remind myself that it also needs to appeal to the full spectrum of riders. You’re responsible for whether or not they have a great experience, and I put this aim at the centre of the race organisation. Rider experience is always number one.

This year’s race has a stacked field of riders – who’s your money on being first to the finish?

Honestly, this year, it’s a really hard race to call. The rider list is full of fast and experienced riders in all categories. I’d likely put my money on Drikus Coetzee in the men’s race, though. Last year, he pushed the eventual winner, Justinas Leveika, very hard until very close to the finish before being forced to scratch. He’ll have learned much from that experience and will be stronger again. I’d say Meaghan Hackinen is the likely favourite in the women’s race, with extensive experience racing in the US. Her standout performance was the women’s win at Tour Divide, finishing with an overall 7th place. I’m looking forward to seeing what Robin Gemperle will do with his partner Lucas Strittmatter in the pairs race. Robin took the overall win back in 2023, so seeing what these two can do will be interesting. In the end though, there is quite a list of riders who are potential contenders in each category, it’s going to be great to watch.

Are there any standout sections you think riders will love in this year’s race?

There haven’t been any significant changes this year, which does have the benefit of being able to compare somewhat with past editions. That being said, one minor but significant change is due to a change in the conditions on the ground this year. The Draa River was completely dry in all past editions and is now a full-flowing and mighty river. In the past, the race crossed the riverbed several times. I was able to find a little singletrack used by locals with their mopeds that skirts the river. It is short but pretty cool. Otherwise, I think the two classic highlights are the 100 km section of canyons without resupply between Imassine and Afra or the Old Colonial road, which features almost 70 km on an old hand-built dry stone walled road in the middle of nowhere.

If you could suggest just one sentence or phrase for all riders to learn and use during the race, what would it be and why?

I think the most essential things that everyone should be able to say when they take part in the race is ‘Salam Aleikum’ to greet locals and ‘Shukran’ to thank them for the many occasions when either simply resupplying at one of the small village shops on route or for the likely numerous times when they are offered help or hospitality. We are guests in Morocco, and I think being attentive and respectful to our hosts is important. We want the race to be a universally positive experience for everyone involved, especially those whose homes we visit.

How does Atlas sit within the Mountain series? It seems to be the route racers enjoy the most.

I think Atlas is the most accessible of the three races regarding difficulty. It’s a really nice balance of beauty and challenge. There are a few less things to worry about than in Silk Road, especially regarding altitude and weather. That said, it’s still a tough route and demands a lot of anyone who takes it on. I think one of the great appeals of the race is that it takes you to a very different natural and cultural setting despite not being that far away from where many of the riders are from themselves.

Snog, Marry, Kill… Atlas, Hellenic & Silkroad?

I’m not sure it’s fair to make me decide which one to kill! I really like all three races, each has its own particularities and highlights. I’d likely marry Silk Road though; it’s where it all started and Kyrgyzstan is a place that is very dear to my heart with my partner being from Kyrgyzstan and me having built a life there for the past 5 years. Very hard to say between Hellenic and Atlas, I think maybe the hearty Greek mountain food wins it for me but then I’d miss these rocky mountains!

If someone is eyeing up the Atlas Mountain race for next year, what can they do now to help prepare?

The most important thing for me when considering anyone applying to race is to show they have experience looking after themselves in the mountains. The best way to gain this experience is to head out into the great outdoors and explore. Go for a multi-day bikepacking trip. Ideally, go somewhere with a similar climate and see how you go, covering the distance required to finish within the race cut-offs. The other thing that would be useful would be riding parts of the race routes; it’ll help give you an idea of the kind of routes that I put together. I know many enjoy them, but it’s not necessarily everyone’s idea of a holiday. Despite having done plenty of research beforehand, I still regularly get people surprised by the difficulty when they race. There’s nothing like getting out there and seeing for yourself. My final comment would be to have a go. You’ll never be quite ready for a big ride like this if you’ve never done it before. You’ll be fine if you approach it with the respect it deserves.

Ultra racing can be a hard sport to follow, but The Race Podcast goes a long way in filling in the blanks. What was the motivation behind starting a race podcast?

The idea behind the podcast is to share the stories that often get less of the limelight: the stories from further back in the field, from the people who are taking on the race as a personal challenge, who may not be going for the overall win but certainly have great stories to tell. We want to show that the races are not just about the incredible performances up front, that every effort is worthy of recognition and that the race is accessible to a much wider audience. Also, it does help that they’re a little more willing to stop and chat with us! This year, Mel Webb will interview riders and report from the field. An ultra racer herself and podcaster, I think she’ll bring the race to life and take listeners into the action as close as they can be without actually participating. We hope you follow along and enjoy the journey!

Listen to the first episode here.

Images by Nils Laengner, Gavin Kaps and Chris McClean