Team Amani take on the Atlas Mountain Race

Words by Geoffrey Langat and Kenneth Karaya Mungai
Pic by Ariel Wojciechowski and Nils Laengner

The Atlas Mountain Race is North Africa’s premier ultra-endurance cycling competition, as well as a chance for individuals and teams to test themselves against the rugged terrain of central Morocco.

Riding in honor of late Team Amani captain—Sule Kangangi—teammates Geoffrey Langat and Kenneth Karaya Mungai paired up to take on this year’s event on short notice and with little preparation—and for Karaya, no prior experience in ultra-racing.

“I had to rush to the embassy for the visa which came at the last minute”, Kenneth explains, “and with it being my first ultra, I was dependent on people’s advice and watching YouTube videos”.

As for Geoffrey, “Preparing for a race that's going to take multiple days with over 23,000 meters of elevation gain on a loaded bike is damn hard to even think about. I had to consider all aspects: weather, food, time, recovery, clothing, and sleep alongside all the basic necessities of ultra-endurance cycling. This was truly scary, even in my imagination, but eventually you either do it or you don't!” Adding to Geoffrey’s list of challenges was the injury he’d sustained earlier in the summer—one he was still working to recover from when the time came to start training for Morocco.

I talked to my coach, and he wasn't confident that I should go for it since I was still coming back from an incomplete fracture of the right upper part of my pelvis after a crash on Stage 2 of the Migration Gravel Race in June. However, in spite of all the obstacles, I started my training by building my endurance, lifting weights, and going out for night rides just to keep my body and mind ready for the awaiting task”.

Given the nature of their individual situations and the challenge of the race ahead, the pair set reasonable goals for the event. Or as Geoffrey puts it: “I was determined that, no matter what great challenge came, I wasn't going to scratch from the race. I also had an aim to finish on the podium—and in case that couldn't be possible, I was going to make the top ten”.

Being Kenneth’s first ultra-race, his ambitions primarily centered on building skills.

“The goal of the race was simple: to gather as much experience as I can and have fun along the way”.

That opportunity to gain experience came early with obstacles presenting themselves to the pair from day one. “One big challenge we didn't expect was the loose gravel on steep climbs,” Geoffrey explains. “We had to push our bikes rather than straining ourselves to do less than 5km/h”.

Other difficulties included heavy rains, unexpected river crossings, stomach issues, and of course, lack of sleep. “I remember vividly on the first night, after riding till 2 a.m., we couldn't find a place to lay our heads,” Geoffrey recalls. “Eventually, there were some drainage channels by the side of the road, and I told Ken, ‘Man I am not passing this place. I need to sleep.’ We agreed and leaned our bikes against the pipes, and within seconds, we were inside trying to get an hour’s nap”.

“Unfortunately, it turned out to be a nightmare, and before long, there came a strong wind and it started drizzling, and we had no choice but to keep the pedals rolling. Night went on and we rode deeper into the darkness, and just before dawn, we found some shops and laid down for an hour. Then, our journey proceeded into the flooded river. Memories from the Atlas Race are truly unforgettable”.

In tough times like these, having a partner to rely on proved increasingly useful.

“Being my first ultra-race, my partner assisted me in terms of decision-making while we kept each other company along the route,” Kenneth says, with Geoffrey adding:

Two is better than one, as the old saying goes. And truly in Atlas, racing as a pair wasn't as easy at times, but it was helpful when the deterioration of concentration from fatigue kicked in, and I was motivated to keep pushing to match my partner”.

Encouraging one another, the pair worked together, fighting hard for 4 days, 11 hours, and 0 minutes to reach the finish line in Agadir, nearly 1,200 kilometers from where they’d initially set out. In doing so, Geoffrey and Kenneth not only met their initial goals, but they also earned the title of first team to finish this year’s Atlas Mountain Race.

As for what they’d do differently in the next one, both riders agree two things were needed: more food and mountain bikes.

Kit up for your own ultra-endurance adventures with our Odyssey collection through the link below. And you can follow Kenneth and Geoffrey on all their future journeys on Instagram @teamamani