The Mountain Race 2027: Tough, tougher, brutal – applications are now open

​Morocco, Greece, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey – the race routes of the unsupported Mountain Race series take participants through the wildest mountain ranges, and they must manage entirely without assistance. The Atlas Race is already fully booked; for the Greece race, the application deadline is 31 October.

It’s probably the toughest race series a mountain biker could put themselves through. If you’re now thinking, “Ah, that sounds good – I’ve done the BIKE Transalp too,” think again. These two formats aren’t even remotely comparable. In the Ultra Mountain Races, there are no refreshment stations, massage benches, technical support, bag transport services or a restful night’s sleep in warm hotel beds. ‘Self-supported’ means that every participant must carry their own sleeping bag, tent, emergency blanket, tools and food. Any outside assistance, including help from fellow participants, is prohibited and will result in disqualification.

What’s more, these races do not take place in the bustling Alps, where you come across villages, mountain huts and hotels at every turn. Here, the routes wind through the most remote and unspoilt mountain landscapes a race director could possibly find. Although there are small villages in the Taurus and Atlas Mountains too, there can be stretches of 100 kilometres between them where there’s nothing, and they’re hardly geared up for tourists. Village shops only stock the bare essentials. Occasionally, you’ll find a restaurant or somewhere to stay with a shower. But if these are already taken by other participants, you’ll have to sleep outdoors or carry on riding.

The final bosses: lack of sleep and the weather

And that is precisely the toughest part of these races: the lack of sleep. The stopwatch runs continuously from start to finish. Anyone who sleeps gets overtaken by other competitors. Those who don’t sleep – simply because the circumstances won’t allow it – end up with an acute sleep deficit, leading to difficulty concentrating, dizziness, stomach problems and general physical weakness. Not to mention the fact that, in complete darkness, you can only see half as much, even with a headlamp.

This year, however, the real challenge was the weather. The Atlas Mountain Race began in pouring rain, took the runners along icy mountain passes and had to be rerouted due to a storm. In the end, not even half of the 270 participants made it to the finish line.

The first-ever Taurus Mountain Race In Turkey, too, the race got underway in heavy rain. The participants battled their way through rain and peanut-butter-like mud for days on end, until the race had to be abandoned on the fourth day at an altitude of just under 3,000 metres due to severe thunderstorms and landslides.

Outdoor expert and YouTuber Fritz Meineke has probably captured just how gruelling such a race feels most impressively in a two-hour video. His experiences at the Atlas Mountain Race 2026 – very exciting and well worth watching:

Are you still interested in a place on the course?

So you’ll really need to be fast for the first races in 2027. In the meantime, it’s not just experienced bikepackers and ultra-race competitors who are signing up for these races, but also former Tour de France and World Cup riders. Starting places are allocated via an early application process:

1. Morocco: Atlas Mountain Race, 13–20 March 2027

1,331 km / 24,688 hm

The application deadline has already passed. However, 25 per cent of the places are currently still being reserved for women.

2. Greece: Hellenic Mountain Race, 22–29 May 2027

922 km / 27,831 hm

Applications can still be submitted until 31 October.

3. Kyrgyzstan: Silk Road Mountain Race

1,900 km / 30,000 metres of elevation gain

The race date and application deadline have not yet been finalised

4. Turkey: Taurus Mountain Race, 14–24 October 2027

1,440 km / 36,000 metres of elevation gain

The deadline for applications has not yet been set.

Full details on prices, equipment and the application process are available via themountainraces.cc