Marathon MTB racing, the Life Time Grand Prix, and world traveling with Samara Sheppard

Ryan MTB Podcast episode 2

Now in it’s third season, the Life Time Grand Prix has become the defacto gravel and marathon MTB series for many riders and fans. As the series grows, more international athletes are accepted into the invite-only race series each year. One such international rider this year is Samara Sheppard of New Zealand.

While Sheppard has raced at the elite level for years now, she’s been relatively unkown to riders and fans in the United States since she raced mainly in New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.

This year, she rode to a strong second-place at the Sea Otter Classic, and opted to skip Unbound Gravel and use it as a drop race. She currently sits 10th in the overall standings based solely on her Sea Otter result (Crusher in the Tushar, the third round of the series, was canceled due to wildfires near the course).

Sheppard joined me on episode two of the Ryan MTB Podcast to talk about the Grand Prix, her travels to Durango, marathon racing, and much more!

You can find the podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, and other major podcast platforms. Each subscription or share on the podcast and this Substack helps me reach a larger audience.

Episode three will be dropping into your inbox soon. See you on the trails!