Table of Contents

A Special Thank You to all of our Sponsors

In Support Of

Arizona Cycling Association 

The Arizona Cycling Association is a locally incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 2012.  The ACA is self-governed, self-funded and self-supported. ACA facilitates the development of interscholastic cycling teams for grades 6-12 and provide the education, training, licensing and insurance for student-athletes, coaches and volunteers. The league produces a high-quality mountain bike racing experience that emphasizes the value of all participants, camaraderie among peers, a positive sporting behavior and the cultivation of health over competition.

Arizona Trail Association 

The Arizona National Scenic Trail is a continuous, 800+ mile diverse and scenic trail across Arizona from Mexico to Utah. It links deserts, mountains, canyons, communities and people. The Arizona Trail Association’s mission is to build, maintain, promote, protect and sustain the Arizona Trail as a unique encounter with the land.

Bag It!

BAG IT reaches out to cancer patients, of any gender, age, or cancer type, at a critical time – right after their diagnosis. The information is designed to help them cope with their diagnosis, move more competently through the treatment process, empower them to become an active member of the treatment team, and transition to follow up care. BAG IT provides information to people with any cancer and their families to help them cope with their diagnosis and treatment.  BAG IT helps Fight The Fear.

Cascade Foundation

The Cascade Foundation of Southern Arizona, Inc. was formed to provide a local network of resources for the bleeding disorder community in Southern Arizona.  Working in collaboration with the Arizona Hemophilia Association in an effort to provide a wide range of programs and services to the entire state of Arizona.

Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists

The Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists is an all-volunteer non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of the sport of mountain bicycling, and view the sport as a vehicle to promote low impact outdoor recreation, conservation, and mountain bicycling opportunities that are environmentally and socially responsible.

Schedule of Events

What’s in a Number? – A Welcome Letter

Welcome to the 24^th annual TMC Health 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo on President’s Day weekend 2024.

Do you see a trend here? In numerology, 24 has widespread significance, from science and mathematics to religion and astrology. 24 instills a sense balance and harmony, much like the sensation of riding a mountain bike, and the mellow vibe of 24 Hour Town, where we disconnect from the everyday and reconnect in every way.

While you’re in 24 Hour Town, cruise the expo and check out AHHA, the world’s most simple and portable bike rack, two of which go to the winning men’s and women’s LeMans start runners, light demos from Outbound Lighting, free samples of Athletic Beer on Saturday, free CO2 cartridges at the Bag It tent, free Orange Seal refreshes for your bike (but the espresso shots will cost ya), win a Maxxis Rekon in the Maxxis Tire Toss, challenge the legendary Jeff Lenosky at Foot Down in the TASCO tent and fuel up before each lap with Hammer Nutrition in the exchange tent.

Stepping up from Presenting sponsor to Title sponsor in 2024, TMC Health continues its long-standing support of the #24HOP, and its status as the only locally-owned healthcare provider in Southern Arizona.

This year’s event is dedicated to the 30^th anniversary of the Arizona Trail, an 800-mile National Scenic Trail crossing the state from north to south; an adventure experienced in either bite-sized segments or all at once. Stop by the Dragoon Brewing beer garden (served by SDMB) on Friday from 4p-6p for some free beer and a 5p toast to the Arizona Trail Association. 

And the #24HOP proudly continues its fundraising efforts for Bag It, helping recently diagnosed cancer patients receive all the tools and knowledge needed to empower themselves and conquer fear associated with cancer.

Rock that 80’s neon in style and turn laps with a smile. 

See ya trailside,

24HOP Merch

Purchase Official Event Goods in the Epic Rides Merchandise Tent next to Packet Pickup!

Lap Updates & Live Results

Staying informed in 24 Hour Town just got a whole lot easier…Sign up to receive text messages from Epic Rides each time you or a teammate finishes a lap.

Whether it’s your reminder to quickly finish a beverage, or that it’s time to encourage your teammate to rally to the Exchange Tent for their next lap, TMC Health 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Lap Updates are a makeshift alarm to let you know it’s time to get back in the saddle.

All 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Results are live and typically appear within 5 minutes after the participant crosses the finish line.

If you have any questions or wish to appeal your results, please email us with as much information as possible including Rider Name, Rider Number, Estimated Finish Time and GPS file if available.

Camping, Leave No Trace

Camping – No fire pits, fire rings, or on-the-ground fires are allowed. 

Leave No Trace 

Camping Map

The Epic Rule: Be Nice

There are too many rules in life, so we won’t overwhelm you with more. We’ll just keep it simple: Be Nice, Have Fun, and don’t harsh the mellow. 

Epic Rides wants everyone to have a great time in 24-Hour Town, so do whatever makes you happy, as long as what you’re doing doesn’t make others unhappy. Make friends with your neighbors by being considerate, like not running the generator right next to someone’s tent camper and not cranking your amplifier to 11 after midnight just because it goes to 11. Give a little respect, because it takes a whole lotta unity to build community. 

24-Hour Town welcomes everyone. Whether you’re a rider, volunteer, crew member, spectator, houli, hobo, hippie or hipster, Epic Rides wants everyone to know that 24-Hour Town is self-regulating; there are no quiet hours, no time-out corners and no jail cells. It’s up to y’all to keep the peace. Thanks!

Happy Birthday to You

Start of the Event

If you’re the lucky one who gets to run alongside the few hundred other crazies in cycling shoes to start a mountain bike ride, here’s what you need to know:

• Go to the Exchange Tent at 11:00a and check-in with the course volunteer seated under the numbers that correspond with the one on your rider plate. Write your name on the “Lap 1” line, then write the name of the person that will be riding next on the “Lap 2” line. If you know the order of the rest of your team, write their names on the corresponding lines as well. If not, no worries, but you better figure it out sooner than later. Attention Soloists – you too are required to complete step 1.
• You will receive your team’s baton. Guard it with your life.
• Position your bike on the wooden racks in the bike staging area.
• Make your way to the start area by walking east on the main dirt road.
• Wait for Todd to wish you luck, and when you hear the shotgun – start running!

Everyone knows that it’s not really about who logs the most laps between Saturday and Sunday, it’s about who wins the lemans run. Give it all you’ve got! It’s only 400 yards, perhaps a bit more, and chances are it’s the only time you’ll be running during the next 24 hours. Who will be this year’s fastest runner? It could be you!

End of the Event

The ending time for the ride is 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Sunday, February 18. Any rider still on the course after 12:00 p.m. will log off after completing the lap. The final finishing places are to be determined by the total number of laps completed and the order in which each team completed the final lap. If a rider logs off the course before noon and no other rider logs in to complete a final lap, that team will be registered as a “DID NOT FINISH.” You must finish after 12:00 p.m.

Bitches vs. Skip the Bitches

The most notorious feature of the course is a series of hills along Gas Line Road known as the “Bitches”. Some love ‘em; most hate ‘em. In recent years, Epic Rides introduced the “Skip the Bitches” trail. As the name clearly states, this trail provides an opportunity to bypass the infamous Bitches.

Skip the Bitches will be run as an option to all riders after 2 p.m. If you’re trying to set a new course record, we recommend you ride the Bitches. It’s faster and 2/10’s of a mile shorter. But, if you’re seeking pleasure in the saddle, Skip the Bitches! 

If you do ride the Bitches: be prepared, be careful, and be warned! The Bitches have broken numerous collar bones, wheels, frames and egos over the years.

Course Map

Best Team Names

Dedicated to the Arizona Trail Association

Every 24HOP participant is no stranger to long days spent in the saddle, exploring the wild and enjoying life spent on two knobby tires. But did you know that only 10 miles east of 24 Hour Town lies another great excuse to extend your escape from reality on the mountain bike? It’s called the Arizona Trail.

As one of only 11 National Scenic Trails in America, the Arizona Trail runs 800 miles from the Utah border to Mexico, crossing a diverse landscape from aspen groves of the San Francisco Peaks in the north to the mighty saguaro cactus of the Sonoran Desert in the south with the incomparable Grand Canyon crossing in the middle. But without the efforts of the Arizona Trail Association (ATA), one of the world’s most iconic human-powered adventures wouldn’t be possible.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, the ATA is a non-profit organization with the mission to protect, maintain, enhance, promote and sustain the Arizona Trail as a unique encounter with the natural environment. The Arizona Trail was the dream of Dale Shewalter, a Flagstaff schoolteacher who had a vision in the 1970s of a trail connecting everything that makes the state of Arizona unique. He traveled the state sharing his vision of connecting existing trails and dirt roads, then filling the gaps with new trails.

Once the ATA was established in 1994, the organization began closing gaps in the trail, building new sections of singletrack and enhancing the experience for all human-powered users, mountain bikers in particular.

The Arizona Trail was officially completed in 2011 with the final missing section along the Gila River. 2011 was also when current executive director Matthew Nelson joined the ATA, and more than a decade later, Nelson and his staff of 18 dedicated stewards continue to build new singletrack while engaging Indigenous people who originally established many of the routes generations ago. The ATA is also expanding youth programs, like Gear Girls in Flagstaff and GRO Girl GRO in Tucson, both focused on girls from 4th to 8th Grade, providing free access to bikes, skis, snowshoes, transportation and skill-building to get girls more engaged with the outdoors.

Divided into 43 different segments called “passages”, the Arizona Trail doesn’t have to be ridden in one big massive trip. Breaking down the Arizona Trail into more bite-sized experiences makes it attainable for more enthusiasts. For mountain bikers, Nelson recommends the iconic and rugged 38-mile stretch of Passage 16 in the Gila River Canyons and Passage 17 of Alamo Canyon. Passage 34 in the San Francisco Peaks features brand new singletrack through aspen groves as well as a new 31-mile stretch of singletrack purpose built for mountain biking along Passage 4, Casa Blanca Canyons, near the town of Patagonia in the high elevation grasslands north of Mexico.

When asked what the most challenging part of the Arizona Trail is, Nelson didn’t respond with a section of trail; he responded with a different type of challenge users experience while on the trail.

“The extremes of weather across diverse ecosystems of Arizona are the biggest challenge. The high point of the Arizona Trail is above 9,000 feet elevation and it bottoms out below 1,600 feet. You have to plan ahead and pack light enough to travel quick but not too light in case you get caught in rain or snow. And you definitely don’t want to broil in the desert, so timing is critical. October is usually the best time if you’re planning to ride the entire trail at once.”

The ATA relies on several different sources for its funding: state and federal grants, private donations, membership and retail sales. Each year the ATA strives to raise at least $1.5M to continue enhancing the Arizona Trail experience while engaging the public. And for Nelson, he has a bigger personal goal in mind

With the Arizona Trail currently at 87 percent trail, Nelson just might see it happen under his tenure. But without public support, expanding singletrack, engaging Tribal Nations and building youth programs won’t happen. If you value the Arizona Trail experience, consider making a donation of time or money (or both!), and become a paying member of the ATA so future generations can experience an uninterrupted ribbon of dirt across Arizona from Utah to Mexico.

To get more information on the Arizona Trail, the ATA and its youth programs, and to donate or become a member, visit them in their booth at 24 Hour Town or go to aztrail.org.

Please join us on Friday, Feb. 16 at 5:30p in the Bike & Gear expo, where we will raise a Dragoon Brewing can in celebration of the Arizona Trail Association.

Rules of the (Off) Road

• Each team must designate both a team captain and co-captain. All correspondence for a team before, during and after the race must be conducted through and only through the team captain. In the event that a team captain is unavailable, the co-captain may represent the team. However, only team captains may file a protest. Team captains and co-captains are required to attend the pre-race meeting, we also encourage you to invite your entire team to the meeting as an opportunity for them to clarify any questions regarding the event prior to starting time.
• Only team members, volunteers and event staff are allowed in the rider transition area while the ride is being conducted. A rider on the course may be supported on the course only by other registered riders. Those riders may be a different team and must enter the course under their own power, either on foot or on a bicycle. Any rider who has entered the course in support of another may bring equipment and tools and may even swap bikes with the rider in need of support. Cannibalizing bike parts is permitted in this race.
• Anyone, including other racers, may supply a racer on the course with food and water. However, racers taking on food or water must exit and stay clear of the course. Water will be stationed at the check-in station. It is important that no one litter the course. Any racer found intentionally littering the course will be disqualified along with the rest of their team members. 
• Riders pushing bikes must yield the right of way to racers riding bikes. A racer pushing a bicycle may overtake a racer riding a bicycle so long as the racer riding a bicycle is not impeded.
• Lapped riders must yield to riders in the lead. Any rider attempting to overtake another must be vocal. Phrases like “track left”, “track right” must be shouted out. A challenging rider must overtake a lapped rider safely and lapped rider must yield on a challenging riders first command.
• In the event that two or more riders are vying for position, the lead rider does not necessarily have to yield to the challenging rider, however, any attempt to interfere with or impede a challenging rider is considered unsportsmanlike and is not permitted.
• Any attempt by a logged-in rider to take a (short-cut) off of the designated course will result in the immediate disqualification of that racers entire team. Additional penalties, including a permanent banishment of that racer and/or their team from all future races, may be imposed. 
• All participants must conduct themselves in a civilized manner. Use of foul or intimidating language or behavior towards anyone including other participants or event officials on or off the course will not be tolerated. Any participant found in violation of this regulation will be penalized. This penalty may include the immediate disqualification of the racer and/or their team. All penalties to be determined by the event director.
• Federal, state and local ordinances must be followed at all times.
• Only registered participants may ride on the course prior to and during the race.
• Protests must be in writing and submitted to the event director any time after the race but no later than 15 minutes after the final race result postings. Only team captains may submit a protest. Protests should describe the incident in detail and contain names, addresses, phone numbers and signatures of participants and witnesses to the incident. A $20.00 cash deposit must accompany all protests. The event director shall make an immediate ruling on the protest. Should the ruling be against the team the deposit will be forfeited. If the ruling is in favor of the team and the protest upheld, the deposit shall be refunded. The race director will make all final rulings.
• Riders must have a primary light rated at a minimum of six watts or 150 lumens during the night ride. Riders must also carry a secondary light such as a small flashlight, penlight or similar lighting system.
• All co-ed teams are required to have a minimum one person of the opposite sex AND each person on the team is required to complete a minimum of one-night lap in order to be considered in contention for a top 10th or 15th spot depending upon a number of teams in a category.
• On a co-ed team, each member is required to have no less than two (2) laps completed from the most completed by the team member with the most laps. (example: Rider A has 5 laps recorded in the books, all the other riders cannot have less than 3 laps recorded in the books.)
• All bicycles must be completely human-powered. No pedal-assist is allowed.
• All attendees, participants and volunteers must follow Epic Rides’ Covid Protocol

Bike & Gear Expo

Emergency Medical

Medical support for this event is provided by the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (SARA), the most experienced rescue personnel in the Southwest. No matter what your ailment, help is close at hand when you’re in 24-Hour Town or out on the course. (They’re the ones around 24-Hour Town sporting bright orange T-shirts.)

CHANNEL 9 IS FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY! 

SARA: Event Emergency Numbers
Cathy Wasmann (IC, Med Tent), 520-784-1784 
Bill Florence (Field Operations), 520-488-7747

Non-Emergency Situations
For non-emergencies, contact the DJ or Exchange Tent Coordinator to make an announcement, or download the TMC Now app and receive medical advice from the palm of your hand.

Cholla

Spanish for “Get this painful ball of evil out of my ass before I go deaf from my own screaming.”

Rule #1 – Stay the hell out of the cholla!

Rule #2 – If you do get some on ya, don’t attempt to remove it with your hands. No, not even with cycling gloves on. Do not grab it, swat at it, or pick it off with your hands. This will only lead to disaster.

Removal Method – The best method of removing cholla is with a cheap plastic comb. Brush it away from your body and it’ll pop right off. Brush hard, though, as cholla spines are barbed and take a little extra oomph to pluck out of your skin

Support 91.3 KXCI

With KXCI’s help, once again we’re excited to provide the community of 24 Hour Town with its own radio station. Set your dial to 105.7 FM and listen in all weekend long. We can all share in the auditory magic from the Expo tents to your personal campsite.

You’ll hear the ultimate music soundtrack for your Old Pueblo experience, live interviews with 24-Hour celebrities, hilarious announcements, and up-to-the-minute news reports on what’s happening with the event. K-EPIC is your entertainment, information and inspiration station. It’s fun, it’s free, and you won’t hear it anywhere else but right here at the TMC Health 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo.

Thanks to the DJs from KXCI 91.3, Tucson’s community radio station, for providing the talk and tunes throughout the weekend.

Dragoon Brewing Co. Beer Garden Hours

Dragoon Brewing Co. Beer Garden will have everything a thirsty mountain biker needs, from their beloved Dragoon IPA; Dragoon Pils: American Pilsner and their new Sonoran Amber.

Make time to enjoy a beer from the Official Beer Sponsor of the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo while raising funds for the trail advocacy efforts put forth by the Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists.

Pre-Register for the 25th Annual

February 14 – 16, 2025