July 20, 2013 (Canmore, AB) – A month after floodwaters ravaged the town of Canmore, more than 1,600 mountain bike enthusiasts tested their limits at the kickoff of the 24 Hours of Adrenalin on Saturday. The 18th incarnation of the race in the Bow Valley could well prove to be the most important, as it attracted more than 6,000 people to the race venue, pumping the much needed tourism dollars into the community.

“We feel extremely grateful to be able to host this event given what’s taken place. Our client base comes from all over Alberta and British Columbia. The Nordic Centre was hit far less than other areas, so we’re very fortunate. It’s important to say Canmore, the town and the Bow Valley is open for business. One of the things we can do to help the region is bring in the 6,000 people driving to the valley for this event,” said race organizer Stuart Dorland.

The first 24 Hours of Adrenalin event was held in Canmore in 1996 and it has grown into a hugely-popular annual weekend celebration for mountain bike enthusiasts.

“The Canmore Nordic Centre is once again excited to host our largest annual event; the popular 24hrs of Adrenalin mountain bike race here in Canmore on July 20 and 21,” said Michael Roycroft area manager for the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park. “Together with teams of dedicated volunteers, we have worked extremely hard repairing flood damaged trails to have the course in tip-top shape for the thousands of participants and spectators here this weekend.”

There are also some new features as volunteers can relax and get refreshments in the Honey Stinger V-lounge courtesy of Planet Foods as the event is co-presented this year by new sponsors, The Bike Shop and Planet Foods. Other highlights of the weekend include the 24 Minutes of Adrenalin kids’ race, in support of Right to Play.

Olympic speedskater Kristina Groves and Martin Parnell, who ran 250 marathons in one year to raise money for Right To Play, will be on site to meet guests and talk about the charity’s vision of creating a healthy and safe world through the power of sport and play.

A new timing system was also launched, which offers real time updates on riders courtesy of the 24 hours of Adrenalin website. The new system is compliments of MS1 Timing from Quebec. A trail guardian plan will also be up and running this year, as volunteers will tour the course to help fix markers, assist with flat tires and monitor the race from the course.

For the first time in race history, all riders were required to carry bear spray. The move came as a precautionary measure, as past races have included bear encounters. Dorland said the decision was an easy one to make, as it increases athlete safety. Athletes  without bear spray risk disqualification and Day 1 saw 100 per cent compliance.

“Since the inception of 24 Hours of Adrenalin, it’s been the goal to have a fun event and a fair event, but it’s got to be a safe event,” Dorland said. “Everything we can do to keep participants safe is the way to go.”

Canmore Nordic Centre events manager Jamie Carpenter said the move is a preventative measure, and similar mandates could hit other races in the future. “This is a precautionary move. The race has over 1,000 participants and often they are alone at night with limited vision. At this point, we felt it was important to implement,” said Carpenter.

The popular annual event featured the dynamic LeMans start sponsored by Merrell on Saturday at 12 p.m. and the riders were off on their 24-hour journey into the record books as beautiful weather blessed the 2013 event.

The festivities began on Friday with an Expo at 2 p.m., live music from 7 p.m., and includes a Midnight corn roast on Saturday. More than 300 volunteers help to stage the race which ends at noon on Sunday.

“Right from Day 1 we’ve designed 24 Hours of Adrenalin as a fun event for weekend warriors and local fast folks who want to gather together and enjoy the sport of mountain biking,” said Dorland.

To watch video of the 2012 event click here and for more information visit here.