Atlas Mountain Race Training Plan & Preparation
The Atlas Mountain Race is a nonstop, self-supported race with no stages and no outside help: 1,331 kilometres and close to 25,000 metres of climbing from Ouzoud across the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas to the ocean at Essaouira. The clock never stops – pacing, sleep and resupply are yours to manage, and the profile punishes every bad call.
Course & Elevation
From the start in Ouzoud at around 800 metres the route climbs almost immediately. The first key section comes early: at kilometre 61 an hors-catégorie wall rears up, 5.5 kilometres at an average of 15 percent with ramps beyond 30 percent – this is pushing terrain, not riding terrain. The route then stays high for days: around kilometre 136 it tops out near 2,900 metres before the second giant climb follows at kilometre 171, ten kilometres at 8.4 percent.
What makes the race truly hard, though, sits between the marquee passes: of the nearly 25,000 metres of climbing, only about 8,000 belong to the eight categorised ascents. The rest accumulates on the endless rollers of the high plateaus between 900 and 2,000 metres, on gravel pistes and old colonial roads through remote villages, which are also where you resupply. Barely a fifth of the course is flat.
From kilometre 1,000 the route falls towards the coast, but one last spiteful climb blocks the way at kilometre 1,152: 3.6 kilometres at a good 10 percent with extreme ramps. From there it is 170 rolling, descending kilometres to sea level in Essaouira – the course loses almost 800 metres net.
Pacing Strategy
Over multiple days it is not daily form that decides this race but discipline in the first 48 hours. The kilometre-61 climb at 15 percent average arrives while everyone is fresh – ride it and the ten-kilometre pass at kilometre 171 at race pace and you will pay for it on the plateaus beyond. Take the big climbs deliberately well below threshold and treat hike-a-bike sections as what they are: slow kilometres that still cost energy.
The race-deciding phase is the long middle between kilometres 375 and 1,000: more than 17,000 metres of climbing hide there outside the categorised passes, and that is where riders who manage pace, sleep and resupply separate themselves from those who can merely ride fast. Calculate the gaps between villages and carry too much water and food rather than too little.
The biggest trap is the finale: after kilometre 1,000 the race feels downhill, but the climb at kilometre 1,152 with its extreme ramps hits you with a week in your legs. Keep a genuine reserve for it – the last 170 kilometres to Essaouira only roll if there is something left.
12-Week Preparation
Expect five to nine days of riding depending on ambition, with daily efforts of twelve hours and more. This is not about peak power but about durability: the effort is almost entirely aerobic, low-intensity and long – interrupted by steep ramps where even pushing a loaded bike becomes real work.
Three things decide the race: the two giant passes in the first half, the accumulated 17,000 metres of climbing hidden in the plateau rollers, and the ability to resupply, sleep and still make distance day after day.
Build your preparation on long endurance rides of six hours and more, and progress to blocks of consecutive long days – nothing substitutes for the back-to-back effect. Ride a meaningful share of it on gravel and with your full bikepacking setup, because a loaded bike climbs, brakes and handles differently. Practise hike-a-bike on steep pitches, night riding with your actual light setup, and eating from a bar bag instead of an aid station. Strength endurance on climbs – long ascents at low cadence – prepares you for the pass kilometres. And rehearse at least one multi-day ride on minimal sleep to test equipment, position and fuelling rhythm under real conditions. A mid-March start in Morocco also means hot afternoons and frost at altitude in the same race – your kit has to handle both.
Course Map
Profile Parameters
Slope Distribution
Climbs on Route
| Start (km) | Length | Ø Gradient | Max Gradient | Elev Gain | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KM 61.4 | 5.5 km | 15.1% | 34.6% | +837m | HC |
| KM 170.8 | 10.1 km | 8.4% | 26.1% | +848m | HC |
| KM 251.8 | 4.8 km | 7.7% | 13.6% | +373m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 329.4 | 5.2 km | 6.9% | 30.4% | +359m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 815.0 | 4.5 km | 7.2% | 20.2% | +322m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 916.5 | 5.0 km | 7.6% | 20.5% | +378m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 1105.7 | 3.7 km | 8.2% | 24.5% | +303m | Cat. 3 |
| KM 1151.7 | 3.6 km | 10.3% | 43.4% | +374m | Cat. 2 |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself — length and gradient — regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
Adaptive race preparation
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Atlas Mountain Race dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Frequently asked questions
How should I prepare for Atlas Mountain Race?
Preparation for Atlas Mountain Race should account for 1331 km, +24688m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Atlas Mountain Race?
The pacing strategy for Atlas Mountain Race should reflect 1331 km, +24688m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
How long is Atlas Mountain Race?
Atlas Mountain Race is 1331 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Atlas Mountain Race have?
Atlas Mountain Race has around +24688m of elevation gain over 1331 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
When does Atlas Mountain Race take place?
Atlas Mountain Race takes place on March 13, 2027.
Where does Atlas Mountain Race take place?
Atlas Mountain Race takes place in Ouzoud, Morocco.