All About the Challenge!
May 2019
Everything you need to know about the National 24 Hour Challenge!
In This Issue
It’s the 11th Hour
Entry Fees Go Up on May 16th – Register Today!
Can You Volunteer? Yes, You Can!
Water Bottles
I Can’t See You!
News and Notes
Questions, Comments, Suggestions
It’s the 11th Hour
We are just four weeks away from the 37th annual National 24 Hour Challenge! It’s the final countdown! Our entire team of board members and volunteers are hard at work making sure everything will be ready for your best ride ever. For those of you returning for your 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 30th National 24 Hour Challenge, you will find all the things you have come to expect are exactly how you remember them.
But, just like you, we have accepted the challenge to make the 37th annual National 24 Hour Challenge the best ever. We have added new merchandise like water bottles and socks, our scoring website is even better this year, you can check out at the end of your ride using the scoring website (no more waiting in the long line), and we have finally said goodbye to punching rider numbers to track mileage!
Continue your training and come ready to accept the challenge – we’ll be waiting for you!
If you have not yet registered for the National 24 Hour Challenge, get it in gear and head out to BikeReg.com today and sign up. The entry fee will go up on May 16th so save some money and register now.
One of the biggest reasons not to wait is you get the FREE event t-shirt if you register on or before May 15th. Register after May 15th and you pay extra for the event t-shirt – if you can even get one as there will be limited quantities available.
Another reason not to wait is your rider number will be customized with your name. This year, all riders will be able to keep their rider number, so if you register on or before May 15th you will get your name on your rider number just like the example below:
Finally, here are 40 more reasons not to wait: $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, $1, and $1.
For those of you who feel like you need to wait until the last minute, registration officially closes at 6:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 14th.
There is no question that the National 24 Hour Challenge is powered by volunteers. It takes nearly 150 volunteers to make everything run smoothly and safely from set-up, registration, and checkpoints to food, scoring, and safety.
VOLUNTEERS: If you have not signed up yet, please do so today at: www.tinyurl.com/N24HCVolunteer
RIDERS: Please be sure to thank the volunteers when you are at the National 24 Hour Challenge. A thank you is like chocolate for volunteers – it makes us feel good!
FORMER RIDERS: A special request. If you are not riding this year, please consider volunteering, especially for our neutral support crew. Former riders make the best neutral support crew volunteers because they understand the event and what it takes to ride for 24 hours. Please consider sharing some of your hard-earned experience and volunteer for our neutral support crew.
If you have questions or want more information about volunteering, email Judy, our volunteer director, or call (616) 538-0132.
Water Bottles
We have received our shipment of National 24 Hour Challenge water bottles. These 26 oz. Specialized Purist water bottles with the MoFlo cap are emblazoned with the National 24 Hour Challenge logo and our “CHALLENGE accepted” motto. Get yours by ordering on BikeReg.com or a limited quantity will be available for sale at the National 24 Hour Challenge.
I Can’t See You!
One of the enhancements to our scoring website this year will be individual rider profile pages for each rider. If you would like to submit a picture of yourself, we will include it on your rider profile webpage. If you have already emailed your picture – thank you! For those riders who want to include their picture on their rider webpage, please email your picture to registration@n24hc.bike
News and Notes
We were recently informed of the passing of Pontus Ostman, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Pontus rode the National 24 Hour Challenge 6 times, totaling nearly 2,500 miles. Of particular note was his third place overall mileage in the 2016 National 24 Hour Challenge of 447.1 miles while riding in the 60 to 64 age category. He was an avid distance cyclist who not only participated in the National 24 Hour Challenge, but also in the Ultra Midwest series of 200 mile events. He was loved bicycling and was admired for his strength and stamina on the bike. He will be missed.
Questions, Comments, Suggestions
Email us at: National24Hour@gmail.com or call (616) 953-0234.
Look for our next issue of All About the Challenge on April 12th!
Gary Goscenski, Executive Director
National24Hour@gmail.com
(And sign up now! www.BikeReg.com/national-24-