Elite Men's winner Jason English (Australia) and his wife Jennii - pit crew extraordinaire.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Some of the Australian Riders and support crew the day before the race.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Elite Men World Champion Jason English (L) and thirrd placed 30-34 Men Adam Kelsall get in their carbo loading before the race.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
The Canmore Ranger delivers the "What to do in case you meet a Bear" brief.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
The race village with the Bow River Valley in the background.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
World Solo Pit Row with the Bow River Valley in the background.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Australian Champion Jess Douglas, fourth Elite Women, before the start.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Elite Men winner Jason English gets his race face set before the start.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
No prizes for guessing where Brendan Den - second in Single Speed Men - comes from.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
New Zealand riders Megan Dimozantos [L], ninth Elite Women, and Tony Hogg [R], eighth Elite Men, before the start.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Australia's Brendan Den, second Singlespeed Men, does some adjustment in a pit stop.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Riders and spectators were able to check live lap times and results through the race on TVs in the Canmore Nordic Village.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
New Zealand's Megan Dimozantos, ninth Elite Women, in a Sunday morning pit stop.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Costa Rica's Ronald Arias gets in a stretch in his pit area before the start.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
New Zealand's Tony Hogg, eighth Elite Men, in a pit stop.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
USA's Jari Kirkland was second in the Elite Women category.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Midnight action on the course.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Midnight action on the course.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Canada's Carena Dean, third Elite Women, entering solo pit row on Sunday morning.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
USA's Rob Robson, third 50-54 Men, coming into the end of a lap at dawn.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Australia's Matt Koerber, fourth Single Speed Men, in pit row.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Australia's Andy Fellows, third Elite Men, on Sunday morning.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Australia's Jason English, first Elite Men, on Sunday morning leaving pit row.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
USA's Rebecca Rusch takes the Elite Women's win on Sunday.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Australia's Andy Fellows crosses the finish line for third in Elite Men.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Australia's Jason English crosses the line on Sunday for the Elite Men's win.(Image credit: Russ Baker)
Rebecca Rusch (Specialized Factory Racing) en route to a third title.(Image credit: Jon McCuskey)
Rebecca Rusch (Specialized Factory Racing) celebrates her win.(Image credit: Jon McCuskey)
Rebecca Rusch (Specialized Factory Racing) crosses the finish line.(Image credit: Jon McCuskey)
The 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo 24 Hour Mountain Bike Championships were held in Canada in Canmore, Alberta in 2009. Some 117 solo riders and 247 teams contested the event, with riders from eight countries amongst the 1700 riders taking part. Canmore also hosted the championships in 2008 and riders were hoping the wet weather of 2008 would not repeat. Jason English and Rebecca Rusch won the solo elite categories.
The race got underway at 11:45 on Saturday and from the start a group of four elite men took off at cross country pace for the first six hours. New Zealand's Tony Hogg was the early leader but Australia's Jason English and Andy Fellows, plus American Cary Smith were always close, with only two minutes separating them after 10 hours.
As the night wore on Hogg suffered from dehydration and collapsed on the course, forcing his withdrawal from the race. English took over the lead, gradually extending it through the early hours of Sunday morning until he was able to cross the finish line as the 24 Hours of Adrenalin World Solo Champion on Sunday with a comfortable margin.
In the elite women's solo race, American Rebecca Rusch (Specialized Factory Racing) rode relatively unchallenged throughout the race on the way to a third world title, although behind her the placings changed continuously and many of the riders lost time through crashes. Some light rain dampened the course but was not a serious challenge compared to 2008. Australian 24-hour national champion Jessica Douglas hit the wall on Sunday morning and fell back through the placings to finish in fourth place, as Canada’s Carena Dean rode clear into third. American Jari Kirkland took second, nearly a full lap (16km) behind Rusch.
Rusch's boyfriend, Greg Martin, won the singlespeed solo category.