AMR2025: the winners' interview

Back in February the Atlas Mountain Race was won by two Albion ambassadors, Alex McCormack and Marei Moldenhauer.

Alex set a blistering pace on the course, leading for most of the race and finishing in the fastest time to date. Marei set the race alight with an inspiring performance that saw her not only win the women’s race, but also break into the top 10 by finishing 8th overall, also a new record for the race.

This wasn’t the first time they’ve achieved this feat together though. Last Summer at the Bright Midnight race in Norway, Alex took the top spot alongside Marei in the women’s race; they are a formidable duo brought together by their results.

By day Alex is an engineer who lives in Plymouth, and after winning events like the Highland Trail 550, Dales Divide and the Bright Midnight in 2024, he’s focusing on the Mountain Races Triple Crown this year. Marei is a doctor in Germany and has had a rapid introduction to bikepacking, starting to ride seriously during the pandemic and only racing for the last two years in which time she has won races in Germany (Taunus Bikepacking, Mittelgebirge Classique), Norway (Bright Midnight), as well as finishing as the second woman at The Transcontinental Race in 2023.

How do you interview two winners of the same race? We decided to let them ask the questions, so here is a conversation between the two of them as they recovered from the race.

After Morocco, both returned to work. Marei went skiing the following weekend which led to a nasty knee injury that required surgery, so she is dealing with that in the aftermath of her win.

Here’s their conversation, with Marei (M) and Alex (A).

M. Hi Alex! :)

A. Hey Marei, how’s the recovery going? More so for your knee than from the race!

M. It was quite hard to swallow so quickly after such a high from the Atlas Mountain Race. Unfortunately recovery hasn’t started yet, I’m waiting to get surgery on Monday and then I can begin the rehabilitation. So no biking for me, but a different challenge all the same. How are you? Are you already back to training?

A. It’s Monday today, so I’m at work! I really hope the surgery goes well :)

I'm back on the bike and doing some easy runs with the dog as well. I’m still finding that I’m pretty fatigued though. I’m not sure if it’s the same for you, but I feel it can take around a month for my energy and numbers to get back close to what they were beforehand.

One other side effect of racing I find is that my hands often lose dexterity and strength. I was wondering if you experience that, and if so, how you manage it specifically for your return to work as a surgeon?

M. Yes, I know that feeling— for me, it usually takes around 2–3 weeks until I feel fully recovered. The hands are definitely an issue, but luckily, only the sensation in my little fingers is affected; my strength has completely returned. I always make a conscious effort to take care of my hands to keep the nerves in good shape, but it’s always a risk. But back to Morocco: What was your favorite moment from the race? I find that these highlights help carry me through the recovery period!

A. Good to hear! Absolutely, I definitely find myself reminiscing when sitting back in the office haha. I really enjoy the technical mountain bike aspects, so for me the descent from Teleut was a blast, good techy, rideable and a long steep descent whilst the body was still in good shape :). I also just loved being in Morocco as it was all so new to me from the terrain, climate, infrastructure and people who all kept it new and interesting. How about you? Did any parts of the route have you cursing Nelson at all?

M. Yeah, I felt the same about Morocco—it was my first time there too, and I absolutely loved it. The mix of landscapes, the warmth of the people, and just the whole atmosphere made it such a special experience.

As for the descent from Telouet… I have to say, calling it “rideable” made me chuckle! I think I (and probably a lot of others) managed to stay on the bike for maybe 5% of it? Huge respect for making it down in one piece—sounds like you really thrived on the technical sections! I also like technical riding but I am far from experienced, though I still love it. I actually hated that tarmac section before Amskroud and I got lost close to the river after Afra - I might have said one or two swear words there. But laughing at the same time - thinking about what we’re doing there sometimes just seems so absurd!

I’d be interested in your sleeping strategy- did you have one and did it all work out for you?

A. Yeah I definitely found myself looking at the GPS track in that riverbed section thinking it didn’t match up with what I was seeing in front of me!

Sleep wise, I went with a loose plan but I like to adapt it depending on how the body reacts in the race. I sometimes find when there’s the pressure of being chased it helps me stay focussed. So I decided to ride through night one, then slept for two hours on night two, then around 2h15 on night three, with the hope of getting through the last night! But the body didn’t play ball and I had to have a few road naps on the ‘Moroccan Stelvio’. I left all my lights on, leant my bike up, lay on the road and set a five minute timer on my phone. How do you manage the periods of drowsiness? Do you have any tricks to keep you focussed, and what’s your opinion on caffeine intake?

M. I didn’t really have a sleep plan, but I’m starting to question whether that was the smartest approach. Having a rough plan that you can adapt along the way seems like the best strategy. What helps me stay awake is changing music or switching up the type of music I’m listening to. And I personally love caffeine, not just for the effect but because I really enjoy drinking espresso. Also, this race was actually the first time I tried a caffeine pill, but I think it’s something to be cautious with and not overdo. At some point, caffeine doesn't help anymore, with focus anyway, and then only sleep helps so powernaps can do wonders.

Speaking about the pressure of being chased - How do you handle the pressure of knowing someone is just a few kilometers behind you? Does it make you faster or more efficient?

A. Interesting thoughts on caffeine. I definitely agree it only helps to a point and as much as I love coffee I try to avoid it entirely whilst racing, preferring not to throw any extra stimuli into the mixer.

As for the pressure of racing I definitely find it helps keep me focussed, so it definitely aids efficiency. But I do like to check the dots quite a bit and especially for this race knowing that I was at a pretty comfortable pace and able to hold the gap steady was quite reassuring. Meaning I don’t always push myself to the limit and risk making mistakes if I don’t have to. It might not be the best tactic if I get a freak mechanical but I found here it meant I could still make good decisions and keep the body running well.

You mentioned it was your first time in Morocco, how did you find the wild swings in temperature and given the choice do you prefer too hot or too cold haha?

M. Oh, that’s a tricky question! I usually struggle a lot with temperature swings, and during TCR 2023, it really affected me. I also think my body isn’t particularly good at regulating temperature in general. So, while I don’t like either extreme, if I had to choose, I’d go with the heat. When it’s too cold, I just can’t get into a flow—my muscles stay stiff, and it feels like I’m stuck in the first 5 kilometers of a ride all day long. What about you? Did you also include heat training before the race as it seems to be a trend right now? And did you struggle with water supply at any point?

A. Interesting! I definitely sway more to favour the cold side, being British. I’ve seen the heat training craze but haven’t been doing any. I do quite a lot on the turbo and find that gets the core temperature up even when I don’t want it to. I found the water was actually alright, I did run low on the sandy stretch but luckily there was a coffee van on the road section at the end who ripped me off for two small bottles. But I was carrying a 3L bladder as well as 2 x 500ml bottles.

What did you learn from the race? Is there anything you’ll change for the next one as a result?

M. Oh yes, I can imagine that you’re better adapted to the cold! And I didn’t do heat training either. With learning from the experience, I think I’ll take a cue from you, Alex, and actually plan at least a rough sleep strategy next time! I wasn’t too happy with how I handled that this time around.

I also learned some mountain biking skills during the race itself, but I could definitely use another lesson or two. I’m thinking about doing a proper skills session at some point—just to really learn the techniques properly. I feel like I’d actually enjoy that!

To finish off, I’d actually like to ask you the same question. Given you’re quite an experienced rider, I wonder what you took away from the race and what you learned?

A. Sounds so much fun. I’m super impressed how well you went with so little off-road experience so I’m sure you’re loads better than you think!

Yeah I definitely still have LOTS to learn, and I’m maybe not as experienced in the ultras as people think having only done a couple of years of racing. But for me on this one, it was the realisation that sometimes slowing down can be quicker. Taking the time to eat properly when it’s available, taking the time to care for the body and not being afraid to put the feet up for a few minutes. It’s definitely something I’ll be more likely to incorporate in the coming races.

Again I don’t say this lightly, but I’m honestly so in awe of your ride, it was extremely impressive and inspiring! I look forward to seeing you at the next one :)

M. Ahh, thank you, Alex—that really means a lot! I have so much respect for your riding and your abilities, and it’s honestly so exciting to think about how you’ll continue to grow as a rider when you’re already this strong. I’m sure there’s so much more to come from you!

I’ll be following along at Hellenic and Silk Road this year—really looking forward to seeing how those go for you. Wishing you the best for both and the Triple Crown!