Mr Bontrager in action last year

After two successful years, first at Lodgewood Park, Shropshire and then at Cotswold Park Farm, the Bontrager Twentyfour12 combined 24 and 12-hour event is packing its bags and heading down the M5 for a new home at Newnham Park, Plymouth on 26-27 July 2008.

And while many might bemoan that long drive to the South West, there’s a good few reasons why the move can be considered a good thing. Newnham Park is well used to hosting large events, such as the Grundig World Cups back in the day, and plenty of NPS and marathon events since then. And that’s not forgetting the fantastic and challenging course easily accessible in the surrounding woods.

Aside from the move, there are other changes afoot for the format, the race now having another, yes another, 12-hour race while the main 24-hour event is going on. Beginning at midnight, as the first 12-hour race finishes, the Torchbearer12 will be the first race we know of to start at midnight. You can now enter a team of four or five into the 24-hour race for the same price, and Veteran riders have their own category in the 12-hour solo.

The organisers say: “The course for a dry race will be 8.5 miles and a wet race 7.5 miles…The two main climbs are both solid and will hold up real well in the wet with extra 1mile loop being the only bit we’d take out if things were looking soggy. There is one river crossing which has a walkable bridge by the side (no not the concrete one) so no need to get your feet wet if you don’t want to.”

Keith Bontrager has been in town recently and has given the thumbs up to the course. There’s also some helmet cam video of two of the singletrack sections on the course, Cottage Return and Bluebell Woods, which you can view below.

There’s still a few places left, but the deadline is the end of Monday 21 July. So be quick. Head to www.twentyfour12.com to enter and for more information.