24 Hours of Adrenalin in Canmore

The 19^th Annual 24 Hours of Adrenalin in Canmore, Alta., kicked off at noon on Saturday. More than 1,700 cyclists took part, participating in categories ranging from soloists to 6–10 person teams. The 5-person relay team categories were the most popular.

Set at the Canmore Nordic Centre, the 17.1-km course linked 464 m of climbing with plenty of exciting singletrack and lightening quick, berm-corner descents. Racing conditions were fast and dry until Sunday morning, when rain showers soaked the course and made things slippery for the final few hours. Lap times slowed noticeably, too, but it was likely more a result of fatigue than changing weather conditions.

Cory Wallace, the current Canadian cross country marathon champion and two-time 24 Hours of Adrenalin winner (2010 soloist, 2011 two-person team), made a guest appearance and raced for his hometown bike shop’s five-person team, the Freewheel Fatties. Wallace’s opening lap, done in 49:22, was the fastest of the weekend. He rode eight laps total, logging an average of 53:59, to help his relay team reach the podium.

In the solo categories, Craig Bartlett and Dave Franks, both racing in the over-40 men’s category, were the only racers to complete 18 laps. Bartlett landed in first place with a time of 23:48:30. The men’s under-40 category was tighter, with four racers completing 17 laps and finishing within 22 minutes of one another. Ryan Gardiner, racing for Freewheel Cycle Jasper, won in 24:07:33.

For the second consecutive year, Nadine Mueller won the female solo category. She completed 17 laps – five more than her closest competitor – in 24:27:18 to not only win the woman’s category but to also place sixth overall against all solo racers.

More 24 Hours of Adrenalin Results:

More race results, including all the team categories, are available on the 24 Hours of Adrenalin website.