As anyone who’s done a 24-hour race will tell you, the best bit is the night time. Well, usually – you could probably find some competitors at this year’s Saab Salomon Mountain Mayhem who’d disagree. But if it’s not bike-suckingly muddy, the night laps are generally the most sought-after, with team members rejigging rotas for extra dark action. You don’t usually get to race at night, after all.

This is the thinking behind the Marin Dusk ‘Til Dawn. It’s a 12 hour race, so only half as long as a 24. But the clever bit is that it’s the middle half between 8pm and 8am, meaning that it’s dark for nearly all of the race. The 2004 event will be held over the night of 18/19 September at its traditional singletrackular venue of Thetford Forest.

The main change for 2004 is that original organiser Ken Ward has retired and passed the metaphorical baton to locals Paul Sumption and Paul Hore. Title sponsor Marin remains on board, with Lumicycle also supporting the event with battery charging services. Timing will be by Timelaps and Marin will be showing off its new 2005 product range, so if you want an early peek at what’s on offer for next year, Thetford’s the place to be.

For more details and an entry form, head over to www.marindusktildawn.co.uk.