Five Minutes With Marei Moldenhauer

Marei Moldenhauer is a rising star of the ultra-distance world. Recently taking first woman at the Atlas Mountain Race, Marei balances her racing with being a practising doctor. She finished TCRNo9 as the second woman and then came 4th overall, 1st woman, at the 2024 Bright Midnight race.

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1. In 2023, you were the second woman at the hotly contested TCRNo9 and, before that, the first woman at Taunus Bikepacking, only 1 month prior. Were these your first attempts at ultra-distance racing?

Yes, they were actually my first proper ultra-distance races. I’d done a few long rides and events before, but real racing was something new for me. Taunus was a somewhat spontaneous decision, and when I signed up, I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to finish. After finishing better than I thought, I felt more prepared for the TCR. I had no expectations of how I’d compare to the rest of the field. I just focused on riding my own ride, enjoying the experience, and aiming to finish. It was a steep learning curve – and honestly, very addictive.

2. You headed to the Atlas Mountains this year for AMR, claiming 1st woman after an incredibly strong ride. How did you find this challenging race?

AMR was, without a doubt, one of the most intense experiences I’ve had on a bike – both physically and mentally. The terrain is brutal, the temperature ranges are big, and the remoteness adds another layer of challenge. But I loved it. There’s something about pushing myself so far out of my comfort zone that makes me feel alive. And it’s definitely a race that doesn’t give you anything for free.

3. How do you train for your ultra-distance racing endeavours around the everyday life of a practising Doctor?

It’s definitely a balancing act, managing both a full-time job and my training. I have a coach, which helps a lot in terms of fitting the hours in around my shifts and long workdays. I ride nearly every day after work, and then I do longer rides on weekends or my days off. But I really love both my job and my sport. Riding my bike also helps me process stress and take my mind off work.

4. You've got an injury. Can you let us know how you're recovering and what's next on the agenda?

Yes – unfortunately I had a knee injury while skiing, just a week after returning from Morocco. I suffered an avulsion fracture of the intercondylar eminence. I’ve had surgery and have been focusing on recovery since. It’s been a tough shift mentally, going from being incredibly active to needing rest and rehab and the main challenge has been waiting for the bone to heal. I’m on my way back now – slowly rebuilding strength and getting back on the bike. I had originally planned to ride the Silk Road this year, but now I’ll be focusing more on road or all-road events since hike-a-bike is probably not the best for my knee at the moment.

5. At Bright Midnight 2024 you came 4th overall, only 4 hours behind winning rider Alex McCormack. What was your strategy for this race and how did that compare to how the race went?

Bright Midnight was an incredible experience. I didn’t enter with a strict strategy, as usual – I prefer to adjust based on how I’m feeling. I tried to keep my stops brief and maintain a consistent pace. It turned out to be the first race where I was really racing someone head-to-head, which was a lot of fun, even though I ultimately lost the battle for 3rd place overall. But I came away with new friendships, valuable experiences, and important lessons.

6. What is your go to, listening to music, a podcast or nothing at all?

I enjoy being in my head when I ride, but I also really love listening to music. I create a playlist before every race. It’s short and repetitive, but somehow I still like hearing the same songs over and over again. A great side-effect is that, after the race, those songs bring all the memories back. It’s like time travel.