The Atlas Mountain Race takes place in February, and is the first of four events in the calendar which makes up the Mountain Race series.

The race is a fixed route, unsupported, single-stage cycling race that starts in Beni-Mellal, crosses the Moroccan Atlas before taking riders through the Anti-Atlas and on to Essaouira. The clock does not stop and there are no prizes. It follows gravel, single and double track and old colonial pistes that have long been forgotten and fallen into disrepair. There is very little tarmac. There is some walking, and at times there is great distances between resupply points. Follow the tracking from Friday.

For the first time in the event’s history, the race rolls out from a new start.   Leaving Beni Mellal, riders head directly into the High Atlas, climbing early before rejoining more familiar ground and the long unforgiving run to Essaouira.   A brutal winter has reshaped the route. Relentless rain and heavy snowfall across the high points have forced a late diversion east, with early tarmac sections replacing impassable rivers and snow-banked climbs.

The rain increased as the clock ran down. At 17:00 local time, the race began.

The route opened with a climb along the mountainside. As the riders gained height, the conditions deteriorated. Fog settled in, snow lined the road, and runoff filled the gutters with mud-stained water.

Darkness arrived early. With the rain unbroken and temperatures continuing to fall, the night ahead promised to be long and cold.

In the first episode, now live Mel Webb previews the course with Race Director Nelson Trees.

There will be daily updates coming from directly inside the race, offering fascinating insight from the front to the back of the field.

Be the first to know about latest product releases and hear about exclusive stories from this year's race.

We have teamed up with Bivy Nation to present AMR Radio. Over ten hours of bangers, soundscapes, mosh parts and a few surprises from Jack Taylor and Albion co founder Charlie Stewart.   A soundtrack for your highest highs and lowest lows.

In 2026, Albion and Pertex have joined together again to support the Mountain Races, which are bucket list events for many ultra distance cyclists. Albion products that use Pertex fabrics have been used to ride, and to win, these races and over the next three years they aim to bring more people to the Mountain Series and equip them with the products required for the series.