Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
After 1,924 kilometers, riders finally reached the finish line in Karakol. Some had been there for days, others arrived just in time for the cut-off. The end of the race can be disorienting—time on the trail stretches and bends, days blur into nights, and by the time they reach the finish line, their ride can already feel like a different lifetime.
In our final episode we hear from some of our riders, along with Race Director Nelson Trees, about their experience, knowing full well it will take plenty of time to soak in and more stories to emerge.
Riders featured in this episode:
Visit our website to stay up to date on future Mountain Races
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 roll into Karakol.
In this episode, we hear from riders making their way through these final days — moments of exhaustion and doubt, but also joy, beauty, and the small encounters that become unforgettable along the way.
Riders featured in this episode:
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Lloyd Wright
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 path to this milestone is anything but conventional — from roller derby and long-distance touring to record-setting rides across North America. Along the way she has collected FKTs, a women’s win at the 2024 Tour Divide, and podiums across Atlas, Hellenic, and now Silk Road.
Marking her 40th birthday in style, Meaghan reflects on her ride at the Silk Road Mountain Race and her year at the Mountain Races.
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 striking Eshkilitash valley before returning at last to Karakol via Chon pass (3860m).
It’s a huge mountain to climb, though the gradient is kind, and if they glance back over their shoulders, they’ll see a wall of jagged, snow-capped peaks etched against the sky. It’s here that we meet many of our riders, cresting the final pass before the descent toward Karakol.
We also hear from our women's podium of Leanne Bentley, Sami Sauri and Meaghan Hackinen.
Riders featured in this episode:
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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, the road climbs once more into Tranquility Valley before sending riders over Juku Pass and into the final loop around Karakol along the Kazakh border.
Riders featured in this episode:
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Lloyd Wright
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 other, the remote 200-kilometer loop, rough and demanding, yet essential for those pressing on all the way to Karakol.
To begin and end the loop, riders traverse Arabel Plateau and over Suyek Pass at 4,020 meters. Suyek means “bone” in Kyrgyz — a name tied to the tragedy of 1916, when thousands lost their lives fleeing across these mountains. The pass leads riders into the wide, open expanse of the Upper Naryn Valley, one of race director Nelson Trees’ favourite landscapes in Kyrgyzstan.
Riders featured in this episode:
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 to Karakol, where Meaghan Hackinen arrives as the women’s winner, completing all three Mountain Races in a single season with the second-fastest cumulative time overall.
Riders Featured
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Lloyd Wright
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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, Transcontinental Race, and a sub-12 day Tour Divide. Now he adds a win at Silk Road Mountain Race to that list.
Recorded the day after his finish, Robin shares his reflections on his winning ride.
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Lloyd Wright
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 final push.
At Checkpoint Three, we hear the relief of riders as they catch their breath, take stock of what’s left, and prepare for the road ahead. We also meet many of our chasing riders on the cross-over point on the course.
Riders featured in this episode
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 altitude, snow sweeping across the plateau and visibility dropping to almost nothing. Riders pressed on through whiteouts, frozen shoes, and river crossings, while others took much-needed rest. Alongside them, our control cars navigated their own challenges in their pursuit of the leaders.
Riders (and media team) featured in this episode:
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 what will no doubt become the infamous Suyek Pass hike—thirty kilometers of rivers, scree, and thin air at over 4,000 meters. They arrive to the border road carrying stories of frozen shoes, broken chains, nights of snow and cold, but also of wild horses and sunlit valleys, and many moments that make the effort feel worthwhile.
Riders featured in this episode
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 offers only a brief pause: hot food, a bed, and a stamp in the brevet card before the road pushes on. Riders arrive carrying stories of river crossings, long nights, frozen shoes, broken racks, and moments of beauty. Some gamble by carrying the bare minimum and pressing on, while others opt for warmth and rest, knowing the Soviet Road lies ahead.
Riders featured in this episode:
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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. Some pressed on through the night, others chose to wait for safer water levels in the morning. For a few, sickness and fatigue turned CP1 into the natural end of their race. For most, it was a welcome pause — a place to eat, rest, and carry on.
From Robin Gemperle, first to arrive, to Camila Guaritá rolling in with just minutes before the cut-off, the voices in this episode capture the contrasts of those first days. Relief, doubt, joy, exhaustion, and the little things that keep you moving forward. A Simon & Garfunkel song hummed on the trail, a pocket full of condensed milk, the warmth of a yurt, the simple pleasure of a hot shower. The road from here stretches into the unknown: several hundred kilometers of tarmac before the next major hike-a-bike, and the decisions riders make now will shape the days ahead.
Riders featured in this episode:
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 out at 3811m. They recount stories of their first night on the road. By late afternoon, the leaders had already reached CP1, with Robin Gemperle arriving first and Meaghan Hackman the first woman to arrive in 10th position overall. For everyone else, it’s still just the beginning of a long journey that will stretch to the cutoff on August 30th.
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Lloyd Wright
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 punctuated by laughter—as the reality of what’s ahead begins to sink in.
In this episode, you’ll hear from a handful of riders drawn from a field of 250. Some are returning after past editions, others are here for the first time. They share why Kyrgyzstan pulled them to the start line, what they’ve learned in previous races, and the mindset they’ll carry into the mountains. Following registration, they have one last briefing with Race Director Nelson Trees before setting off into the mountains
Riders featured in this episode
Click here to Dotwatch the race
Follow us on Instagram for daily visual updates
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Intro/outro music by Batyrkan
Cover image by Stephen Shelesky
Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 strongest field the race has ever seen.
From the new Suyek Pass hike-a-bike to a 400-kilometre stretch without resupply, Nelson explains the challenges that await and why this year feels like a return to the uncertainty of the first edition. We talk through the favourites for the win, and the plethora of unpredictable factors—weather, altitude, and decision-making—that can shape the race.
Dotwatch the 2025 Silk Road Mountain Race
Follow us on Instagram @silkroadmountainrace for daily visual updates.
Credits:
Hosted and produced by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 throughout the duration of the race.
Dotwatch the 2025 Silk Road Mountain Race
Follow us on Instagram @silkroadmountainrace for daily visual updates.
Credits:
Hosted and produced by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Music by Batyrkan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 ice creams, reflect on high points, hard moments, everything in between, and head to the finishers’ party, where our Lantern Rouge is welcomed across the line with a hero's welcome.
We tried to put a bow on this past week, but there’s no simple way to capture everything riders felt out there—knowing full well that the real weight of the experience will take time to settle. Still, we hope this series has offered a window into the ride, and maybe even sparked something for your own adventure—whatever shape that may take.
We'll be back in the field for the Silk Road Mountain Race this August. Subscribe wherever you listen so you don’t miss any of the action.
Follow Hellenic Mountain Race on Instagram
Follow Silk Road Mountain Race on Instagram
Visit our website to learn more about the Mountain Races
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 general classification.
Meaghan reflects on her experience racing through Greece, overcoming a her fear of technical mountain biking, and how preparation—both mental and mechanical—set her up for success. She talks through her race strategy, the highs and lows and much more.
Follow Meaghan Hackinen on Instagram
To learn more about the Mountain Races: Hellenic Mountain Race, Silk Road Mountain Race and Atlas Mountain Race, visit our website
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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 ratio of the entire route. Resupply is sparse and riders will need to load up adequately to fuel themselves to the finish.
Riders featured in this episode:
Production and hosting by Mel Webb
Sound design by Ben Crannell
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
