Think about it - 24 hours on a bicycle, in the woods, all day, all night, riding as fast as you dare. Sound a little crazy?
To 500 pumped up athletes, it sounds like a good time. Holiday Farms in Dalton on Saturday & Sunday hosted the "24 hours of Adrenaline" mountain bike race and festival.
The atmosphere was comparable to a Grateful Dead show; just replace the tie-dye and controlled substances with spandex and Gatorade. A constant pumping techno beat served as a sound track for the weekend, a perfect accompaniment to the exuded energy from the athletes. The event also featured wacky headstand and crab walk competitions (with biking equipment as prizes) and a "24 Minutes of Adrenalin" contest for kids. People camped in fields, dining on Clif Bars, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream (for sugar or carbs) finishing with a pasta party and awards ceremony.
24 Hours of Adrenalin is an annual bike race and festival, relocated from New Jersey to mountain bikin' Massachusetts. The organization sponsors a series of events throughout North America and Canada, with a final solo Championship in British Columbia Canada.
This race featured solo, two-person, four-person and five-person categories - with combined ages from under 100 to 200 plus. Also five-person co-ed, five-female, or groups of 6-10 participants, all biking the terrain of Holiday Farms, which included. The grounds were well-suited for the competition, featuring everything from single track to double track, old logging roads, clear dirt roads and open fields, water crossings bridges - classic New England terrain. The 7.5-mile course took riders through bright sunlight, shade and black midnight, with proper lighting required.
Almost 500 participants ranged in age from teens to fifties, novice to expert, with people participating from our Berkshire backyards all the way from Los Angeles, California.
The winner, Mark Hendershot from Grand Rapids, Michigan, finished 21 laps in 24:11:48. "I want a beer, a shower, and some sleep" was his comment.
The woman solo winner, Tracy Schaffer-Pfizer did 15 laps in 24:15:57, said, after finishing: "I just want off to get off my bike".
Pittsfield can be proud of the all-female top team finishers, "Dirty Girls," who accomplished 22 laps in 24:09:04. "Hocking' Locals," a Dalton team, finished first in their division with 26 laps in 24:25:40.
Another notable was solo rider Debbie Sheets, 51, of Pennsylvania. Although Sheets has only been biking for a year, she has already won the 24 Hours of Adrenaline event in Milton, Canada.
First place winners from each division receive original winners jersey and medal, Runners up were awarded a custom hydrating pack and medal, and third-place participants received tires and a medal.
Besides traditional competition, there were also prizes for the fastest lap, best pit/camping area (such as a mini bike museum) and the best helmet - such as one with large plastic Viagra pills stapled to a middle-aged rider's headgear.
Bikers and supporters camped out on the farmland, enjoyed a midnight corn roast and on-site entertainment, and basked in the communal-like camaraderie.
For more information about 24 Hours of Adrenaline, log on to www.24hoursofadrenalin.com, for results and future events.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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