Strathpuffer 24
Through the Night at Strathpuffer
News Release / 23.01.2014
Over the weekend some 500 people clad in varying forms of Lycra made their way to Contin, a wee Highland village 30 minutes beyond Inverness, to compete in the 9th Strathpuffer – the World’s only Winter 24 Hour Mountain Bike Race.
The race consists of solos, pairs and teams of 4, competing to see who can ride the most laps within the time limit, from 10am on Saturday to 10am on Sunday, non-stop; right through what many people think is the longest night of their lives.
Haglöfs have been involved with the event for the last 2 years. They felt it was the perfect Mountain Bike venue to launch the ‘Intense’ range of Mountain Bike Clothing last year. With Haglöfs virtues of getting out into the wilderness against all the weather can throw at you, the Strathpuffer rarely lets you down with rain, snow, wind, ice, and sometimes, if you are very lucky, sunshine!
All of the event marshals are kitted out in Haglöfs insulation products, and many in the toughest trousers, the Rugged Mountain Pant to keep them warm and comfortable over the many hours of standing out in the hills keeping an eye on the riders, and ensuring the whole event keeps ticking over through the late night shift of 1am till sunrise.
This year was a record breaking year for many reasons. The most amount of laps ever completed by a team – 43! The fastest laps ever, under 30minutes for the 10km route! And possibly the mildest year, I don’t think the temperatures ever got below freezing.
The event also has celebrity draw too, with Guy Martin of TV Speed fame not just competing, but vying for the top spot, finishing 2nd in the Male Solo class with a phenomenal 30 laps completed.
The event is as popular as ever though, with entries selling out within minutes of going live, and teams coming back year after year vowing to improve on past performances.
Next year is the 10th anniversary. It will be a special race for sure. Who else is keen to tick it off their bucket list?
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