CORC's 24 Hour Returns to Stromlo Forest Park

What is this 24 Hour Thing ?

Well - for this one, thanks to daylight saving, its going to be a 23 hour. Start at 1200 Saturday, you can start a lap up to 1200 Sunday (but we lose an hour overnight).

Back before COVID and things like Zwift, people actually got together in huge numbers to ride mountain bikes. In Australia it started in Canberra in 1999 and this 2022 event is as close as possible to the original home of Aussie 24 Hour racing. (Someone built a suburb over the road on the original site - sorry).
Up around 3000 riders and 8000 people in a forest !
Its how the mountain biking community got together, and now its back. You can ride as a Solo (like Aussie Elite world champions Mary Grigson, Craig Gordon, Willo (RIP), Jason English, Jess Douglas and Liz Smith), or in teams of different sizes to make it a group, family or work unit. Then there's the special schools teams category to get the next generation into the sport.
Want some time off overnight, or don't have a complete lighting rig? Enter the 6+6; a great way to get started. But the weekend is what you make it. The Italian concept of a 24 hour is that they throw a 24 hour party and, if you want to, you can bring a bike. What will this one be like - that is up to you !

The teams categories are a relay, only one rider from each team on track at a time. This also means your whole team cannot decide to ride together for the last lap!
The solos are just that - but they will be the first to admit they can't do it without their pit crews. Always Solo, Never Alone.
But whether you're a world champion or new to the sport, you're all on the same course at the same time.
Practice and rego Friday, Racing from 1200 Saturday for 23+ hours. A lap you start within the 23 hours will count even if you finish it after 23

23 Hour

• Teams of 2, 4, 6, 8 (Schools), (Male/Female/Mixed).
  
• Yes - we have an e-bike Teams of 4 Category in the 23 hour (Male/Female/Mixed) with their own charging tent and slightly separate start time.
  
• Solos - Elite (open), 40+, Single Speed and Riders with a Disability.
  
• The Solo Categories are also the 2022 WEMBO Asia-Pacific Championships. The WEMBO Asia/Pacific Champion is only awarded to the winners of the Elite Category. Elite is an open-age category, so if you're over 40 but want to chase the big title ... enter Elite.
  
• Each Solo rider gets an allocated pit space down on the crit track with a 3m wide frontage. You can erect your own 3x3 popup or you can hire a Hoecker Marquee through CORC as a basic (power, light, table, chairs) fitout or add a gas-heater. CORC cannot provide mains power or heating to a tent you provide yourself. Supplies are limited of the fitted marquees so get in quick.

6+6 Hour

CORC's creation from 2006 is back
Team of 2, Team of 4 (Male/Female/Mixed)
* Start with the 23 Hour riders.
* Ride for the first 6 hours.
* Take a break overnight.
* Resume after exactly 11 hours off the bike. For example, if your last lap on Saturday finished at 18:11:25, then you or someone from your team would be released onto the course at 06:11:25 on Sunday to re-commence the race. If you stop before 18:00:00 on Saturday, you get released at 06:00:00 Sunday.
* Finish with the 23 Hour riders.

Camping

• Onsite Camping with the great Stromlo facilities for Fri/Sat/Sun nights so you can play it safe and not drive home while tired.
  
• Powered Van Sites are available (get in quick, only a couple left).
• There will be some camping areas around the crit track, with priority given to Solos and Pairs.
  
• Other camping is close to the event centre, or you can choose to be a bit more remote. You will be able to camp in caravans, vans and large tent setups in the Stromlo northern carpark.
  
• Remember the no-fires rule. Gas BBQs only and an adult must be in attendance whenever they are on. No hot-coal type BBQs.
  
• Generators If you must bring one, please make sure it is one of the silenced inverter type to minimise disruption to your camping neighbours.

The Rules

Check out the general WEMBO rules for 24 hour racing but there are couple of changes for the CORC 24:
* Age is calculated on 1 October 2022.
* Minimum age for Solos is 18.
* Minimum age in teams for the 23 hour is 14 however in a Schools team it can be 12 subject to agreement by CORC based on riders ability and history. CORC can apply restrictions to young riders, for example, CORC might say that a young rider cannot do a night lap until they have completed a day lap. Normal AusCycling minimum ages apply for the 6+6.
* The 40+ teams categories are based on the average age of the riders in the team on 1 October 2022, so my contribution is not 66, it is 66.389, for example. Make sure you enter the birthdates of the riders. CORC will contact teams who don't meet the age definition and may move them to an open age category.

The Schedule

Friday:

• 1000 Event Centre Open for setup and practice.
  
• 1500-1800 Registration at Stromlo Pavilion Office.
  
• 2000 Course closed.
  

Saturday:

• 0800 Event Centre Open for setup and practice.
  
• 0900 Registration opens.
  
• 1000 Course closed.
  
• 1030 Registration closes.
• 1100 Race Brief. No category changes after race brief.
  
• 1150 e-Bikes start.
  
• 1155 Solos start.
  
• 1200 Teams and 6+6 start.
• TBA Lights fitted to bikes.
  
• 1800 6+6 Riders stop (last lap after 1800).
  

Sunday:

• 0600 6+6 Riders resume.
  
• 1200 Last laps for all categories commence.
  
• 1400 Presentations.
  

Monday:

• 1130 All riders clear of Stromlo.
  

FAQs

In response to some of the feedback from entrants:
* Food Stromlo's Handlebar will be open throughout the event, including overnight Saturday.
* Mechanics There will be very limited services available. You must come to the race with your bike ready to go (not hoping that someone will be there to service it). With the various parts shortages and large number of parts options, riders should bring their own spare parts for the race and not expect an on-site bike shop.
* Bike Wash There will be a bike wash down on the crit track with 4 hoses supplied, There is also a single point bike wash at the southern end of the Handlebar area, but riders need to ensure they do not pass through the finish line area when going to this location.
* Winners Well - we like to think that everybody wins at a 24 Hr, but within each category, the rider/team with the most valid laps wins. For riders/teams on the same number of laps, the shortest overall race time gets the higher place.
* Numbers in a Team Only got 5 riders? You have to enter a Team of 6 category. You can ride any category with less than the nominal number of riders, but not with more.
* Course Direction You cannot backtrack against the direction of the course.
* Course Details Will be published when finalised, but expect about 13 Km, 250m of climbing and all the best parts of Stromlo such as Skyline and Luge (but no Hammerhead). However, this is subject to course condition and a final inspection on the Friday. We have had a bit of rain in Canberra.
* Lights You must have lights for the 23 hour. A main white front light, a backup light and a red rear light. The race brief will cover when you have to have lights fitted to your bike to start a lap.
* Music and Earpieces You cannot wear earpieces while riding a lap. You are encouraged to have your phone for safety, but you must pull off the course and stop before using it.
* Mixed Teams We don't specify the number of males/females in a mixed team - but there is a minimum number of laps that must be completed by female rider(s) within a mixed team for the team to have a valid result. So, if you have two female riders in a T6, then between them, they would have to complete at least that minimum number of laps. If you only have one female rider, then she has to complete that many laps herself. The number is based upon the total number of laps completed by the team, divided by the number of riders in the team’s category, less a defined number of laps dependent upon the team’s race category (ie. 3 laps for teams of 2 riders, and 1 lap for teams of 4, 6 or 8 riders). For example, for a mixed team of 4 completing 25 laps: 25/4 = 6.25, rounded to 6, less 1 = a total of 5 laps to be undertaken by the female rider(s).
* Breakdowns If you have a mechanical on a lap, you can complete the course by walking the remainder of the lap and that lap will count. If you shortcut back to the finish line, that lap does not count. If you get a message back to your team, a replacement rider can start a lap to replace you, but has to ride the whole lap, not shortcut to get to you. They then become the rider on the lap and their lap time would be from when you started you lap until when they finish theirs. The rider with the mechanical can then take the quickest route back to the event centre, but cannot ride through the finish line.
* Can We Have a Fire? No. No open fires, no braziers. You are allowed to have a Gas BBQ but it cannot be a hot coal variety. It has to be something where the fire goes off instantly it is turned off, and an Adult must be with the BBQ whenever it is on. Sealed Gas Heaters (mushroom/column) are allowed.
* Showers and Toilets Stromlo has both in the event pavilion. Drinking water is there also.
* Battery Charging There will be battery charging facilities available. The eBikes have a separate one.
* Camping Areas If you camp in an area which is inside the course loop or requires you to cross the course for access, then you must be in by 1800 on Friday and then you cannot leave until 1400 on Sunday.
* Pets Sorry - No.
* Parking You can park in Stromlo but please don't obstruct camping areas. You cannot park down in the crit track area. You can use your car to drop of gear before 1800 Friday and to collect gear after 1400 Sunday.
* Cash Prizes The only category with cash prizes is the WEMBO Asia/Pacific Championships in Solo Elite. Prizes go to 5th place in Solo Elite in accordance with the WEMBO Continental Championships scale and are equal for men and women.