201 Teams, 17 Solo Males, 4 Solo Females Equaling Approximately 1100 Racers
24 Hours of Adrenalin (Part 1)

I cannot adequately describe the 24 Hours of Adrenalin at Hurkey Creek campground near Idyllwild, California. I mean, I can tell you all about my team’s experience in the race, but there is no way one person can sum up the entire event. 24 Hours of Adrenalin races are organized by Tri-Life, a Canadian-based company that travels North America from spring to fall promoting several 24-hour mountain bike events. Throughout my life I have attended uncountable motorcycle races as a racer, spectator, journalist and even worker but none of those events (not even AMA Supercross or FIM World Superbike) come close to the organization of the 24 Hours of Adrenalin.

This year’s event was my second and I came away even more impressed than last year. There are several reasons why I think the event is so well organized compared to other events I’ve been involved with. Tri-Life takes care of the racers, spectators/support crews, sponsors, media and local businesses. If you’re not racing you can compete in musical chairs, watch movies on the drive-in like movie screen, get involved with the race theme contests or partake in a handful of other non-racing activities that take place from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.

The beauty behind it all is that you don’t have to be a bicycle racer to take part. Most of the teams are riding for the fun and experience of a 24-hour event. It’s not uncommon to see someone on a 10-man Corporate team finish his/her lap and then drink a beer and it’s not uncommon to see young kids and 50-something women out on the loop and it's not uncommon to see people hugging and crying out of joy at noon on Sunday either. Whether you compete on a Corporate team of ten, an age division team of five, a two-man team or as an honorable Solo, finishing is very satisfying.

This year Divaadrenalin was back and bidding, not for the fastest All-Female team, but to defend their Best Campsite title. And they did, kind of. Divaadrenalin decked out their campsite with teepees, hay bails, cowboy hats and all things western to tie with Team Heat, an Idyllwild/Hemet-based team of serious racers that were supported by a caterer, a live band, tons of support people and even dancers. Team Heat’s Hawaiian-themed campsite also offered up free food and drink to anyone in attendance. That is what the 24 Hours of Adrenalin is all about.

The 24 Hours of Adrenalin atmosphere is 49-percent party, 49-percent mountain bike race and 2-percent suffer fest (it’s still a bike race). Of the 201 teams entered Daart Endurance (my team) finished ninth overall, completing 27 laps in 24:38:59. In the 5-man 150-199 Age Group (of the five guys on my team, our added ages fell in between 150 and 199) we finished third out of 55. Pretty good results, but I feel I could have ridden better. My body is tired, fatigued and beat up from a long racing season and I feel like my lap times suffered due to the fact.
More later.