Looking Ahead

June 29–30

Reach for a baked potato. That’s Cory Wallace’s advice. The solo 24-hour mountain bike world champion and co-organizer of the Okanagan 24 recommends something salty late in such a long ride. “At Hour 20, anything sugary is gone at that point,” he says. “Baked potatoes with salt will hit the spot. The stomach wants greasy food at the end of the race.” A spud may or may not jive with your stomach. What Wallace stresses, though, is to find the food that works and to snack constantly throughout a race like the new Okanagan 24.

The event makes its debut this year at the Silver Star Resort, near Vernon, B.C., within sight of the Monashee Mountains. It will be the highest 24-hour mountain bike race in the country. Participants will start at 1,609 m and ride 385 m of elevation throughout each run of the 15.5-km lap. You can ride in a group of five, corporate team of 10 or solo. Solo riders have a four-hour option open to them.

If you are new to 24-hour events, Wallace says this is a good race for you. “I think the course we have built is for everyone. It has nice flowy trails,” he says. “If you can ride, you can hit them pretty hard. If you’re a beginner, there’s nothing that’s going to scare you out there. It’s just fun mountain biking.”

“The atmosphere of a 24-hour mountain bike race is always pretty laid back. It’s kind of like a family event,” he says.

As for equipment, you can run what you brung: hardtail, full-squish and even singlespeed bikes are welcome. It is important to have a good lighting system: ideally a headlamp and bar-mounted lights.

After the ride, or maybe between shifts, you can enjoy the restaurants and amenities at the Silver Star Resort. There’s a good chance you’ll see Wallace there going for his perferred post-24-hour race food: a burger and fries. ( okanagan24.com)— MP