Come Race the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo

At a time when many mountain bikers are prone to griping about the weather or are busy growing roots that dig deep into their favorite La-Z-Boy sofa, 1,450 stalward mountain bikers, 250 volunteers and 1,500 spectators will be ignoring winter and racing instead, at the seventh annual annual 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.

The race will be held at Willow Springs Ranch, in southern Arizona, on Sunday February 19th. Like all respectable 24-hour races, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo will begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006 and will bump to a halt at 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 19.

Produced by Epic Rides, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo includes a 15-mile loop with five team categories: Solo, Duo, Four Person, Five Person and Corporate. Racers will vie to complete the most laps on the course to win more than $30,000 in prizes and cash. The start/finish line and festival area are at Willow Springs Ranch near Oracle Junction, Arizona—11 miles north of milepost 96 off Hwy 77.

While we all get hung up on the race part of the event, there will actually be three days of festivities. The “24 Hour Town” camping area opens at 12 p.m. on Thursday, February 16th. Activities and amenities include a Friday evening dedication dinner, a massive industry expose`, a late night theatrical fire show, spectator competitions, massage therapy, showers, light charge stations, and food for sale. All you’ve got to do is come up with a good excuse on Thursday morning for bailing on work for the rest of the week—somehow, we think you can manage this.

Not a big fan of words and written race descriptions? Still can’t picture what I’m talking about? No sweat, I won’t take it personally. Check out this photo gallery of the last race, 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Photo Gallery.

“The event creates an atmosphere that fosters camaraderie and fun,” said Todd Sadow, president of Epic Rides. “The Old Pueblo is very much a mountain bike race but there are many opportunities to entertain the non-riding.”

Designed specifically for a 24-hour relay race, the course offers terrain unique to the Southern Arizona mountain bike experience. Riders will negotiate meandering single-track across a lush desert landscape, where a missed turn could result in an encounter with cactus; they will pedal on dirt roads that include a series of short, challenging climbs and descents, and will finish their lap with a long climb followed by a fast and fun descent. “I’ve raced in hundreds of 24 hour events throughout the world, this course is easily one of the best around,” said Tinker Juarez, a member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and this year’s event dedication recipient. A three-time National Champion who represented the United States in the Olympics two times, Juarez is a mountain bicycling icon. He will be available in Tucson the morning of Friday, Feb. 17 to meet the media, and may be reached before then for phone interviews. Call Epic Rides at 520-745-2033 to schedule an interview.

Registration is $90 through February 15, 2006, per racer plus $5 for the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition (plus other local non-profit agencies) and any applicable on-line registration or processing fees. All corporate teams are priced at $900. Camping is $5/person plus one item of canned food for the Community Food Bank. Visit

Still have questions? Go to www.epicrides.com for more information, including a list of event sponsors, course map, racing tips, detailed event information, on-line registration, photos, driving directions and the event schedule.