The Altlas mountain race is a second new race to the early season Backpacking calendar and, as the name suggests, takes place in the Atlas Mountains of Morroco. The Atlas Mountain race is a predominantly off road event that began in Marrakesh on Feb 15th, crosses the Atlas mountains and winds its way through the fringes of the desert and smaller Anti Atlas mountains before finishing on the coast near Agadir. At 1000km in length this isn’t the longest event on the calendar, however the substantial elevation, rough roads and tracks will make it a tough ride. Winning times will be expected to be under 4 days, with the majority of the participants completing the event in around a week.
Don’t be fooled by the desert conditions of Morroco, snow and freezing temperatures are always a risk up high in the mountains so riders will have to select their kit and bike accordingly.
You can follow the race on the race tracker and also tune into the race podcast for the latest developments.
