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No rest for the weary

Staff ReportGlenwood Springs, CO Colorado

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colo. It’s back.The endurance race in which four world records were set last year, the 24 Hours of Sunlight, returns to Sunlight Mountain Resort this weekend.Starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, continuing under the full moon on Saturday night, all the way until 11 a.m. Sunday, skiers and snowboarders will be hiking up and riding down Sunlight. The event will play host to solo competitors and teams of five, four or two, some of whom will try to break the world records set in 2006, while others will be climbing and skiing for fun.Close to 100 people participated in the event last year, including Greg Hill and Jimmy Faust, who set the world record for most human-powered vertical feet skied in 24 hours at 50,100 feet – accomplished in 32 laps up and down the mountain.Polly Samuels-McLean set a world record for the most human-powered vertical feet skied by a woman in 24 hours, with 31,110 feet, and the snowboard world record was set by Jonathan Baker with 20,215 of vertical feet covered in 24 hours. Hill will be back this year, with a new goal of ascending and descending 40,000 feet in 16 hours, according to a press release. Ski mountaineering pioneer Andrew McLean will also be returning to this year’s event.”We are so excited to have really top-tier guys like Andrew McLean and Greg Hill participating in this race,” said Mike Marolt, founder of 24 Hours of Sunlight, in a press release. “This event is not to be missed.”Marolt will also be back to compete this year, climbing up and skiing down to generate funds and awareness for the Heuga Center, a nonprofit that conducts educational and wellness programs for those with multiple sclerosis. The 2007 course will be different from last year’s, when competitors climbed up and skied down Beaujolais. This year participants will ascend Dotsero to Loop Run. They will keep going up the mountain to Rebel, then right off Rebel onto the Parks. The turn-around tent will be located in the Parks.Competitors will then begin to come down the mountain, going back through the Parks, then to Beaujolais, before going down Sundown to the base area. The competitors will then begin again, and again, and again. Registration is still open for the event, and volunteers are still needed. Go to http://www.24hoursofsunlight.com for more information. Cost for the event is $500 for four and five person teams, $440 for two-person teams and $300 for solo participants. Race proceeds will benefit the Valley View Hospital Foundation of Glenwood Springs.On Friday night, a pre-event meeting called the Full Moon Fiesta will take place at Qdoba Mexican Grill from 7-11 p.m. Anyone who is interested can register at that time and people who have already registered can pick up their race packets.Also new to this year’s race is the addition of a cash purse to be divided among first, second and third place in each pro category. Pro categories include the men’s solo, women’s solo and duos.


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