08.9.2009
Amazing Riding and Amazing Weather the Story at the 14th Annual 24 Hours of Great Glen
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Ryan Triffitt
Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center
Office: 603.466.2333 x 177 / Cell: 207.837.5045
ryan@mt-washington.com
Pinkham Notch, NH—An absolutely gorgeous weekend at the
base of Mt. Washington was the perfect backdrop for the 14th
Annual 24 Hours of Great Glen, New England’s premier 24-hour
mountain bike race. Nearly 400 competitors raced around the
clock covering more than 22,500 miles as a group in the process.
In 2008, mud made the riding extremely difficult, but despite this
summer’s wet weather, the course was much drier than last
year. However, that doesn’t mean the racing was easy. The final
layout of 7.95 miles featured technical single-track, steep drops
and a handful of muddy spots. Its difficulty is compounded when
riders tackle it in the dark as the race continues non-stop for the
entire 24 Hours from noon to noon. Competitors race as teams,
made up of 2, 4 or 5 members or tackle the course solo.
The 24 Hours of Great Glen featured two exciting new additions
in 2009: a 12-hour division and RealTime™ Scoring from Granny
Gear Productions.
Designed to introduce more riders to endurance racing, the 12-
hour division was offered. In this division, competitors raced the
same exact course and had the same noon starting time as the
24-hour competitors, but their race ended at midnight. The 12-
hour version featured solo, 2-person and 4-person divisions.
Also for the first time ever, the 24 Hours of Great Glen was timed
by RealTime™ Scoring. RealTime™ Scoring is the timing system
of the premier 24-hour mountain bike event production
company, Granny Gear Productions. The addition of RealTime™
Scoring allowed riders to see in-race lap times and standings. In
all divisions, the competitors were able to receive up-to-thesecond
information on how they were stacking up against the
competition, which was especially critical in the tight races.
And, as always, the competition was stiff with fast times and
strong riding through each of the classes. The overall winner
was the men’s pro team, International Man of Misery, made up
of Thom Parsons of Somerville, MA; Mat Katz of Northfield, VT;
Jeff Whittingham of Waitsfield, VT and Harry Precourt of
Sudbury, MA. They completed 37 laps—a total of 307 miles—in
24 hours and 38 minutes for a one lap victory over the Endo
Farmers: Colin Rueter of Somerville, MA; Curtis Bolvin of
Providence, RI; Kevin Sweeny of Medford, MA and Rob Stine of
West Warwick, RI. The top all female team with 24 laps in 24:24
was Back Bay Bicycles/Esp Royale Caffe made up of Adrianne
Thomas of Belfast, ME; Lauren Kling of Allston, MA; Lori Kohls of
Boston, MA and Jocelyn Gaudi of Medford, MA. For co-ed
teams, the top team with 31 laps completed in 24:58 was
Backcountry Magazine made up of Brian Lyster, Elizabeth Lyster,
Chris Baron, Matt Thomas and Denis Lyster, all from Underhill,
VT.
Seventy riders raced solo with 49 of them tackling the entire 24
hours. The top performer was defending solo champion,
Gregory Janciatis of Gorham, ME. Jancaitis defended his title
with 25 laps in 24:04. During the 24-hour period, he rode more
than 207 miles. For women, the top rider came from the master’s
division as 49 year-old Anne Noga of Salem, MA completed 13
laps in 24:28 to best three other women by one lap. Also among
solo riders is a single speed category, in which racers select
bicycles with only one gear, as opposed to traditional bicycles
with multiple gears that allow for easier climbing and more
efficient pedaling power. Gabe Boisseau of Bethlehem, NH won
this division with a Herculean effort of 23 laps in 24:02.
Complete results for all divisions, including the 12-hour
categories are available at www.24HoursofGreatGlen.com
< h ttp://www.24HoursofGreatGlen.com > .
Not just a mountain bike race, the 24 Hours of Great Glen is a
weekend-long event for the whole family featuring Festival 24,
which is packed with contests and games for the whole family,
including a cheese doodle toss and the 24 Minutes of Great
Glen—a mountain bike race for the kids.
The cycling events at Great Glen Trails continue this summer
with the final 3 Tuesdays of the Summer Mountain Bike Series
presented by Dakine still to come, and the racing will continue
into the fall with the Porky Gulch Classic on November 7 & 8. The
Porky Gulch Classic is a true test of all around cycling with three
unique stages over two days. The first stage, The Toughest Two,
is a two-mile hillclimb up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. The
second stage, the Story Land Criterium, is a race through the
popular amusement park. The race concludes on Sunday with
the Rockpile Rampage, a cyclocross held at Great Glen Trails.
Great Glen Trails is open daily for biking and paddling. For more
information, visit www.greatglentrails.com
< h ttp://www.greatglentrails.com > .
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Located at the base of Mt. Washington, Great Glen Trails Outdoor
Center is a year-round destination for outdoor and fitness
enthusiasts. Winter offerings include cross country skiing,
snowshoeing, tubing and the one-of-a-kind SnowCoach. Mountain
biking, paddling, Nordic walking and trail running are popular in
summer. For more information, visit www.GreatGlenTrails.com or call
603-466-2333.
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