The Mountain Races Podcast

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SRMR 25 Day 5: Borderline
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 episodeVictor Eklund - Cap 205Oliver Geiger - Cap 149Maarten Vanhaverbeke - Cap 122Sami Sauri - Cap 174Leanne Bentley - Cap 116David Hills - Cap 50Nikolaay Bulgakov - Cap 145Carlotta Schumacher - Cap 31Stefan & Helene - Caps 312A & 312BMichael Gaffey - Cap 135Eric House - Cap 62Click here to Dotwatch the raceFollow us on Instagram for daily visual updatesProduction and hosting by Mel WebbSound design by Ben CrannellMusic by BatyrkanCover image by Stephen SheleskyThanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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37:26
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37:26
SRMR 2025 Day 4: Rivers & Roads
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: Robin Gemperle - Cap 165Alex McCormack - Cap 8Anatole Naimi - Cap 10Chris Burkard - Cap 69Josh Ibbett - Cap 101Tomas Fabian - Cap 197Miron Golfman - Cap 137Meaghan Hackinen - Cap 132Alex Kopp - Cap 9"Vlad" Teisseire Wladimir - Cap 189Ashley Cordingley - Cap 22Daniel Perotti - Cap 46Click here to Dotwatch the raceFollow us on Instagram for daily visual updatesProduction and hosting by Mel WebbSound design by Ben CrannellMusic by BatyrkanCover image by Stephen SheleskyThanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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32:45
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32:45
SRMR 2025 Day 2-3: CP1 at Peak Lenin
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: Andy Peterson - Cap 14Dennis Stegemann - Cap 55Leanne Bentley - Cap 116Tori Riemersma - Cap 200Thomas Quirk - Cap 194Robin Gemperle - Cap 165Alex McCormack - Cap 8Anatole Naimi - Cap 10Chris Burkard - Cap 69James & Kirsty - Caps 315 A&BSimon Petley - Cap 177Roz Osborne - Cap 171Anne Hutmacher - Cap 303AIgnacio Pellejero - Cap 86Johannes Santen - Cap 98Marius & Wililam - Caps 317 A&BMarlin Peterson - Cap 126Nat Anderson - Cap 319AKaren Jennings - Cap 107Guillaume Lallement - Cap 78Sami Sauri - Cap 174Camila Guaritá - Cap 30Click here to Dotwatch the raceFollow us on Instagram for daily visual updatesProduction and hosting by Mel WebbSound design by Ben CrannellMusic by BatyrkanCover image by Stephen SheleskyThanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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37:39
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37:39
SRMR Day 1: The First 24 Hours
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.Riders featured in this episodeMaarten Vanhaverbeke - Cap 122Andrei Tereskin - Cap 12Miron Golfman - Cap 137Max Cherkasov - Cap 131Carlotta Schumacher - Cap 31Daniel Gottschalk - Cap 45 Victor Eklund - Cap 205Sergei Cherepanov - Cap 320Josh Ibbett - Cap 101Adam Palin - Cap 1Meaghan Hackman - Cap 132Click here to Dotwatch the raceFollow us on Instagram for daily visual updatesProduction and hosting by Mel WebbSound design by Ben CrannellMusic by BatyrkanCover image by Lloyd WrightThanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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22:01
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22:01
SRMR 25 Day 0: Into The Unknown
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 mountainsRiders featured in this episodeMax Cherkasov - Cap 131Karen Wykurz - Cap 106Gabi & Herman - Caps 311A&BChris Burkard - Cap 69Tobias Callister - Cap 196Cat McGill - Cap 33Eric House - Cap 62Annie Dunlap - Cap 16Carlotta Schumacher - Cap 31Meaghan Hackinen - Cap 132Robin Gemperle - Cap 165Anatole Naimi - Cap 10Alex McCormack - Cap 8 Race Preview BlogRace Preview Podcast episodeClick here to Dotwatch the raceFollow us on Instagram for daily visual updatesProduction and hosting by Mel WebbSound design by Ben CrannellIntro/outro music by BatyrkanCover image by Stephen SheleskyThanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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46:30
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46:30