2023 Canadian Rockies 24 rolls through Canmore Nordic Centre
Race report from co-founder Cory Wallace
Photo by:
Cody Shimizu / Canadian Rockies 24
Alberta’s newest 24-hour race ran a highly successful sophomore edition over the weekend, delivering a day, night, and another morning of racing at the iconic Canmore Nordic Centre.
The new event is the product of two long-time mountain bikers who really know their way around an endurance event: WEMBO 24hr world champion Cory Wallace and co-organizer Leighton Poidevin.
Wallace, currently in the Yokon for this weekend’s Canadian cross country marathon national championships, reported back with how the second edition of the Canadian Rockies 24 went down in Canmore last weekend:
The 2nd Edition of the Canadian Rockies took place this past weekend under near-perfect sunny conditions in Canmore, Alberta. Racers competed in both 24 and 4-hour races on a 13.2 km loop at the world-class Canmore Nordic Center. This year the course was redesigned to provide a slightly shorter loop on some faster-moving trails to provide a great riding experience for riders of all levels.
Teams of 2-10 riders in different categories as well as Solo warriors took on the challenge. Edna Gonzalez from Mexico claimed the Solo Female overall title while Nicholas Emsley from Ontario claimed it on the men’s side after a 24 hr battle with Magnus Stenlund, a local from Jasper Alberta. On the Teams side there was good competition in both the Teams of 2 and Teams of 4-5 divisions. The Corporate category (teams of 6-10) saw the deepest field with Team Progressives from Canmore taking the top step with 26 laps, the most of anyone in the 24-hour Period.
Highlights of the weekend were the bluebird weather, the calm clear night, and the festivities around the race hub at the Canmore Nordic Center. Many racers commented on the luxury of camping two nights on site with the impressive Rockies towering above and a nice swimming lake behind to cool down. The essence of the Canadian Rockies 24 is to provide a World class event with a welcoming atmosphere for riders of all abilities and this year’s race delivered!
Stay tuned for details on next year’s edition on both Facebook and Instagram: @canadian_rockies24 as well as the race website at www.canadianrockies24.com!
Full results from all categories at the 2023 Canadian Rockies 24 are online now.
