THE NEW National 24-12-6 Hour Challenge
Hastings, Michigan
- Date
- Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 8:00 AM
- Location
- 1401 N Broadway
Hastings, Michigan
49058
United States
OpenStreetMap Google Maps - Links
- bikereg.com
About this event
THE NEW National 24 Hour Challenge for 2026 - June 20-21 After extensive planning and route surveying, I am proud to announce THE NEW National 24 Hour Challenge for 2026 - Sept 20-21 in Hastings, MI. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the huge expense of the Thorneapple-Kellog School venue in Middleville, we have moved the base of the event to Daniels Funeral Home in Hastings. (10 miles away) If you have lodging reservations in Middleville, please allow enough time to drive to Hastings or try and make different accommodations. A big shout out to Scott Daniels owner of Daniels Funeral Home for offering his large and beautiful venue near downtown Hastings, MI as our home base. It is perfect and we have some great routes that have already been ridden and approved by long time local rider Randall Bertrand. NEW - Physical Packet Pickup will not be required: Welcome to the digital age! A physical packet pickup will be available from 4-7pm on Friday, June 19. However, if you sign and return your waiver to me
online, then I will send you a complete digit packet and all you have to do is show up from 7:00-7:45am on Sat morning to get your timing chip and your pre-printed Bike Sticker and start riding. If you ordered any shirts, jerseys, or medallions you can get those either before or after the event. If you rode some of the previous N24HC courses you will probably recognize some of the roads, however these routes are all new and revolve around the start-finish line at the Harris Funeral Home in Hastings at: 1401 N Broadway. Camping: Yes you are allowed to camp at the site: RV’s, tents, whatever you want. Both on Friday night before the event, and Saturday during the event. Thanks so much to Scott for his generosity and unbridled enthusiasm in hosting us and making this possible. The 24-hour event is the primary event, but there will also be 12-hour, 6-hour, and 100 mile categories to align this event with other popular World UltraCycling Association events (WUCA) across the country. For those
who enjoyed collecting “Total Miles” during the prior N24HC event history and earning special mileage pins I am willing to continue the tradition and if I can get the results from all previous events I am happy to honor those mileages and allow everyone to continue to build on them towards 1000-mile Jerseys - and more. “To infinity … and Beyond”! To continue the date tradition, I have scheduled this event on the weekend of Father’s Day. In 2026 that will be June 20-21. This date also allows cyclists to take advantage of the most daylight possible which is always appreciated by those riding the 24-hour event. Events and categories: There will be a 100-mile, 6-hour, 12-hour and 24-hour events complete with gender, 5-year age groups, and all bike type categories, even ElliptiGo’s! Solo as well as, 2 thru 8 rider teams are welcome. There will be something for everyone! RAAM Qualifier: The 24-hour non-drafting category will be a RAAM qualifier as in years past. RQ is 380 Miles for men and 350
miles for women (and 60+ men). There will be 51.0 , 22.4 , 11.8, and 5.9 mile courses All 4 new Courses with gpx download and visual map at this published link Important Dates: * May 20, 2026 - Last Day to order a custom 2026 N24HC riding jersey * June 5, 2026 - Last Day to order a custom 2026 N24HC t-shirt, and/or Medallion * June 18, 2026 (Thur) - 11:59pm - Final day for online registration * June 19, 2026 (Fri) - 4pm - 7pm - Packet pickup and onsite registration * June 20, 2026 (Sat) - 6:30 - 7:30am event day packet pickup and late registration Starting Day Activities/Schedule: Rides Starts on June 20th - 8:00am * 7:00-7:45am - All riders pick up their RFID chips at the start-line * 7:50am - All riders meet at start line to go over final announcements * 8:00am - Group start at 8am, with drafting riders at the front. Finishing Activities/Schedule: * June 20th - approx 2:00pm - 6 hour cyclists are finishing * June 20th - 12:00pm - 6:00pm - Century cyclists are finishing in this window ????
- June 20th - approx 8:00pm - 12 hour cyclists are finishing * June 21st - approx 8:00am- 24 hour cyclists are finishing * Awards will be at the Start/Finish area immediately after each event as soon as the final rider is in and results can be tabulated and labels printed - usually within about 30 minutes. Main Venue: The hub of the event will be the Daniels Funeral Home just north of the Center of town. The address is 1401 N Broadway, Hastings, MI 49058. Camping will be allowed in the parking lot and grassy areas on both Fri and Sat nights, and we will have access to bathrooms in the building. The Events: There will be 4 concurrent events at the National 24 Hour Challenge: 100 Miles, 6, 12, and of course the major one - 24-hours. Each event will have the following categories: gender, 5-yr age-groups, all bike types, supported or self-supported, solo as well as 2 thru 8 rider teams. All events allow both drafting and non-drafting categories. The 24-hour non-drafting will be the RAAM
qualifier as in year’s past. 24-hour event: All cyclists are encouraged to ride the 51 mile loop at least once, then the 22.4 mile loop until it gets dark, then either the 11.8 mile or 5.9 mile loop until their 24 hour event ends. However to acconmodate different riders and those unsupported or on trikes or handbikes - this is not a requirement. Everyone is free to ride any loop they like at any time. 12 or 6-hour event: All cyclists are encouraged to ride the 51 mile loop at least once, then the 22.4 mile loop until it gets dark, then either the 11.8 mile or 5.9 mile loop until their 24 hour event ends. However to accommodate different riders and those unsupported or on trikes or handbikes - this is not a requirement. Everyone is free to ride any loop they like at any time. Century event: All cyclists ride the 22.4 mile loop 4 times, and the 11.8 mile once for a total of 101.4 Miles. Event protocol: All events and riders will start and finish at the entrance to the Timing Area - it will be
obvious! The 24-hour RAAM qualifier riders must honor the “non-drafting zone”. We have adopted the USA Triathlon (USAT) definition of this ‘zone’: as a “rectangular area seven 7 meters long (23 feet) and two 2 meters wide (6.5 feet) surrounding each bicycle”. This will provide a sufficient non-drafting area around each cyclist. This event is also aligning with the World Record setting standards within World UltraCycling Association (WUCA). This format allows all riders to ride until the very end of their timed event. No more of “If you can’t make it around the loop before the time expires - you are done”. Everyone will be encouraged and allowed to complete the current lap they are on until their time event expires. Your distance covered during your final lap will be prorated based on your final lap time. That way you get maximum distance for your event time. The timing system will automatically figure this partial lap distance based on your average speed during that lap - so make sure you
cross the start/finish line on your final lap. All you need to remember is if the timing clock has not passed the hour your event is supposed to end on, then you can keep riding and earning miles. The only decision you have to make is whether you should ride the 11.8 mile or 5.9 mile course as the goal is to not have to ride too many extra miles before you finish. And always cross the start/finish line to end your lap. NEW ASSISTANCE RULE at all my events: HELP SOMEONE IF THEY NEED IT! If you notice anyone needing help please stop and offer assistance to them. My goal is that no one should EVER be stopped alone on the edge of the road if they are unable to ride. If you see someone alone - ask, stop if needed, and help - No one really wants to work on their bike alone and you can always do something to help, especially at night! So, if you stop to help someone, you will earn mileage credit for anytime you stopped to help someone in need. Take a photo of them, get their Bike Tag #, and record
the time you stopped and started back again. At the end of the event (or during a break) provide this information to me or the timer. As long as your lost time is <10% of your ride time you will get mileage credit for the time you stopped based on your final average moving time. If your lost time is more than >10% of your ride time you will have the option of riding that much time beyond your original end time for extra mileage to a maximum of 20% of your ride time. Follow vehicles and crew Info: 51-Mile Course Support rules: If you are riding in the supported category on the 51-mile you are allowed to have a personal support vehicle on the course to assist you. These are the crew rules: 1. You may not directly follow your rider as that would present a dangerous situation with so many riders on the road. If you are seen doing this, your rider will be immediately disqualified from the event and required to stop. 2. You may be anywhere on the course and stop (off the road) to hand off food or
drink to your rider or offer any other type of assistance they need. 3. Your rider may call you if they need mechanical aid and you may drive to, and stop anywhere on the course (off the road) to offer mechanical aid as long as it is done off the road. 4. Handoffs from the support vehicle while it is moving are not allowed. If you are seen doing this, your rider will be immediately disqualified from the event and required to stop. During the 51-mile loop, supported riders may also have their crew set-up anywhere along the route as long as they are completely off the road and not on private property. 22.4, 11.8, and 5.9 Loop Support Crew rules: Crew for each rider is allowed to set up a single “support area” near the start/finish line. These courses are so short a rider should not need someone to meet them anywhere along it. If your rider has a mechanical issue, you may then, of course, drive out to assist them. What happens if I have a mechanical on the course and cannot continue? If you
have a mechanical issue on any course you are allowed to call your crew and they can drive out to help you. At that point you have 2 options: * Repair or replace your bike and continue riding, or if that cannot be done, * Return back to the Start/Finish at the School area to see if it can be repaired there. If it can, then you must return back to the exact spot you originally stopped and continue from there. (If you do this, you must let your Event Director know - and please stop your GPS when you are in the car to make it easy to verify your total ride miles at the end) Support crews are permitted to hand-off food and drink to their riders from the roadside while the rider is moving (as long as the crew are not in a vehicle) . If the rider needs to come to a full stop, they must be off the road so they do not interfere with any other rider. Riders, when you are not utilizing the support areas, ride on the far side of the area so there is no conflict with those slowing down for handoffs or
entering the road from a pit-stop. Where to park your vehicle: You may park your vehicle in any of the parking spots at the Funeral home that are not marked as saved for the event or riders to pass through. Self-Supported Category: If you ride in the Self-Supported category, this means that you are “totally” self-supported. You should carry with you everything you need to fix most issues that might arise, but especially a flat tire. You cannot have anyone help you in any way in the Self-Supported Category. If you get in a bad way on the course (something you cannot fix yourself) and need to call for help, call your Event Director and he will arrange for a SAG vehicle to assist you (no guarantee on time). At this point you must either abandon and take your mileage at that spot - or have someone help you repair your bike and change to the Supported Category. Awards and souvenirs: A custom forged Medallion with a N24HC insert is included in your registration fee. It will be given out during
the award ceremony and will have your results printed on the back. During the online registration, you will have the opportunity to purchase custom t-shirts, Cycling Jerseys, or extra Medallions for yourself and your crew. Deadline to preorder is May 20, 2026. There will also be a limited supply of t-shirts, Cycling Jerseys, and Medallions available to purchase during onsite registration and packet picket and after awards. An Awards and Recognition Ceremony will be held after each event. Everyone will be recognized for their achievement and have an opportunity for a photo with their medallion and crew. Special recognition will be provided for top overall place in each category. Awards and recognition ceremonies will be held individually for each event as soon as the results for each event can be tabulated after completion. Exact Location will be announced. Accommodations: * Hastings, MI is centrally located between the large cities of Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Kalamazoo, which are all
around 45 mins away and closer to 30 on the outskirts. Many people have great luck booking a B&B nearby as well. There is no access to electricity in the parking area so 24-hr riders and crew need to make sure to supply whatever they need via backup batteries, etc.. Many Thanks again to Scott Daniels again for providing the use of his location for our event. Please note that no pets are allowed in the building but OK at camping as long as they are leashed. Please keep out of any part of the building that is not listed as available to us and use the time immediately after your event (while you are waiting for your award ceremony) to remove all personal items and all trash from your support and/or camping area. We want to be able to be welcomed back here for many years to come! Sign up for these other UltraCycling Events: 2026 Mid-Atlantic 12/24 - Washington, NC - Aug 9-10 https://www.bikereg.com/mid-atlantic-1224-century0 2026 Georgie TT Endurance Challenge - Rincon, Ga - Sept 12-13 (6-hr
WUCA Championship) https://www.bikereg.com/2026-georgia-tt-endurance-challenge 2026 Psycho 48 - Bayboro, NC - Oct 16-18 https://www.bikereg.com/the-psycho-48