24 Hours of Canaan

By Jack Hoblitzell

Images Editor

very June, thousands flock to the remote mountains of West Virginia. They come to experience the thrill of the 24 Hours of Canaan. (pronounced cuh-nane) The 24 Hours of Canaan is a 24 hour mountain bike relay race in which over 300 four and five man teams, grouped into different classes compete against each other to see who can finish the most laps in one 24 hour period. In 1995, when these pictures were taken, the area had been deluged with rain. In many cases, the riders were forced to walk, as their brakes wouldn't work and they couldn't pedal through the thick mud.

The race begins at noon Saturday and goes to noon Sunday, and begins with a LeMans style sprint to the bikes. The 24 Hours is held at the Timberline Resort and is the center of a whole weekend of festivities. Some of the other events include a trials bike demonstration and short circuit race for kids.

The actual race takes place of a 12 mile loop and involves several thousand feet of climbing, and a viscious descent back down to the base lodge. At the base, the rider logs the time he finishes and then the team's next rider begins his lap

Soon night falls on the valley. The racers continue on guided by lights mounted on their helmets and handlebars. However, these lights don't always work. On several occasions, I saw racers riding with mini mag lights held between their teeth.

Day soon returns, and by 11:00 in the morning, their is a large group of riders waiting just above the finish for noon. If a rider comes in before noon, his team must send out another rider, so many riders choose to wait till noon so they don't have to make their teammate do another agonizing lap. In the end, all are completly exhausted and mud covered, but are still in good spirits, and in many cases are eagerly talking about next year's race.

This year's race will be held the weekend of June 8-9 and is organized by Granny Gear Productions based out of Davis, West Virginia.