Kim Hurst takes the World 24 Hour Solo Championships

Kiwi riders grabbed two titles at the World 24 Hour Solo Championships held in Fort William last weekend. The Scottish Highlands staged a brutal course which featured sections of the 2007 World XC Championships course. Jason English, five time World 24 Hour Solo Champion, described it as the “toughest 24 hour race course ever”. British born Kiwi Kim Hurst grabbed top honours in the women’s elite race, clocking up 321 kilometres and nearly 11,000 metres of vertical ascent. Her result would have placed her 12th overall out of 170 racers and in the top 10 of the elite men’s field, backing up an impressive 12 months of racing in which she’s achieved World 200 Mile Road Champion and National Elite Cyclocross Champion titles, as well as setting a new Karapoti course record. “The trails at Fort Bill are wicked so I was expecting a value for money day out and fully knew what I was letting myself in for having raced the World Cup XC there in 2006. It was an honour to represent New Zealand like that and the thought of all the Kiwis following the race online kept me company all night long”, she said. Ryan Hunt took out the men’s Under 23 World Champion title at only 19 years of age. Rotorua will host the 2016 World 24 Hour Solo Championship event and Hunt is already excited about the prospect of stepping up to the elite category on home turf. Both riders were supported by Lisa Morgan of Cowbell Coaching and Ricky Pincott from Mud Cycles and credit their support crew with their outstanding results. “Twenty-four hour racing is as much about the crew as the rider. It’s not by chance that our crew came away with two championship titles. They ran a super slick show for the entire race”, said Hurst. Central Otago based endurance racer Erin Greene also raced to the bronze medal in the elite women’s race, rounding out an impressive weekend for Team New Zealand.