Dirty Disco Dances the Whole 24 Hours...
Every February, thousands of mountain bikers and spectators descend on the Arizona desert for 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, one of the most iconic endurance races in the country. This year marked the event’s 25th anniversary, with over 5,000 people camped out in 24 Hour Town, creating a vibrant, festival-like atmosphere in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.
Held just north of Tucson, the race offers the perfect winter escape for riders looking to swap cold, wet, and snowy trails for fast, flowy singletrack under blue skies and starry nights.
Whether racing solo or with a team, participants face their own unique challenges—pushing through fatigue, managing nutrition, and keeping momentum through the highs and lows of a full day on the bike
Beyond the physical test, the race serves as a powerful motivator through the darkest days of winter. When training motivation dips, the thought of riding alongside friends, not letting teammates down, and tackling a 24-hour adventure under the desert sky keeps riders pushing forward.
In this post, we’ll share the stories of four riders—each with different motivations, experiences, and takeaways from their journey. Whether you’re considering your first endurance event or looking for inspiration for your next big goal, their insights will give you a glimpse into what makes this race so special.
Our goal was simple- to have a great time and still be friends when we returned to Western North Carolina!
Let's meet the Team and get some answers to questions!
Racer #1- Team Captain Tricia Davis (nominated to do the LeMans style start)
- Brevard, NC
- Mountain Biker, triathlete, Endurance Coach, Physical Therapist
- Fueled by a passion for personal progress and wellness
- Loves trips with bikes and friends and hanging out with Chad and Bob (husband and dog who thinks he’s a person)
W H Y ?????
I’ve been suckered into this race before with the promise of Whisky and didn’t realize how big of a deal it was. Sure, I’ve done hard races before but the challenge of multiple laps, with friends, being sleep deprived sounded like fun at the time. Also, the desert in winter time is GLORIOUS so it didn’t take much convincing.
How do you Inspire others to sign up for this kind of thing?
It was literally easy. I just put the idea out there and they took it hook, line and sinker. Mostly, I think because we all just went through a pretty horrible storm called Helene and were looking for an adventure to take us out of town. Plus, I find if an event is more than two or three months out, everyone is pretty sure they can get “ready for it” in time.
What was your favorite part of this adventure?
It was literally the planning and scheming, getting together to come up with a team name, booking plane tickets, hotels, RV and getting packing lists together was so so fun. The training was fun, the pre-ride was fun- just all of it was a grand time. The race has been going on for 25 years and the organizers have it dialed, so it kinda makes everything easy!
What was the hardest part?
For me it’s the sleep deprivation and trying to function when your brain turns to mush. Plus getting older makes night riding and seeing in the dark in general more difficult, so I’d say the night laps were the hardest to try to stay out of the sand and cactus!
Racer #2 - Debbie Bradley AKA- Birthday Girl
- Mills River, NC
- Mountain Biker, Oncologist, Executive Coach, former figure skater
- Fueled by laughter.
- Powered by a bionic knee
- Currently under construction learning to live life less seriously and embrace the uncomfortable/unknown
What was your ‘why’ for taking on this challenge?
It is funny how things happen sometimes. And often these make the best adventures. As I sat at my desk scheduling more work travel, I realized I had quite a few frequent flier miles. So, I texted some friends and said I have miles, let’s go somewhere warm for my birthday in February. Take our bikes and have some fun. I was envisioning fun trail rides, time at the spa, some shopping, and amazing dinners. Tricia Davis (ie Killer Coach) replied back. 24 hours of Pueblo is on your actual birthday. Adventure, warmth in the middle of February…….Let’s do it. You only live once.
How did having a bigger goal impact your race experience?
My biggest goal was to step out of my comfort zone and truly enjoy the experience. Just about everything about this event was out of my comfort zone. I had never ridden in the desert. I had never done a 24 hour race. My last night ride was about 10 or more years ago. I had never camped (unless you count girl scouts in grade school). I love taking nice warm showers, ideally twice a day. And although I love outside and adventures, I love a nice, soft, cozy bed after the adventure. So choosing to sign for a 24 hour race, rent and RV and head to the desert was new for me. I even got to poop in a bag in the middle of the desert after they locked the port-o-johns on our departure day:) Remembering to enjoy the experience made very part of the entire race experience amazing.
What was the hardest part of the event, and how did you push through?
The hardest part for me was life the few months leading up to the event. I left for the race sleep deprived, stressed from work, realizing some major changes in my life needed to occur and without about half of the training I would like to have banked. Having teammates and a coach who accepted me where I was and provided nothing but support was key. I was able to trust myself. I was able to be honest with what I could and could not do at any given moment (we are capable of a lot when we shut down the negative inner voice). It would have been easy (especially for me) to spend my lap time with a narrative of negative self talk. You should have…… If you would have only………. Especially with the number of people who passed me during the event. I have never been passed so many times in my life. I kept it in perspective. I gave what I had, accepted what I had, and stayed in the moment. I focused on the beautiful views, joking with other riders, (It gets pretty amusing when you are at hour 23) settling into the ride and remembering my goal: step out of my comfort zone and enjoy the experience.
What did crossing the finish line mean to you?
It proved to me you have to step out of the status quo. It is easy to rinse and repeat. But you will miss out on experiences you never even imagined. Say yes to the uncomfortable things. The scary things. You never know what adventure is waiting. You have one life, live it! So the finish line meant turning 49 to me. My birthday. It meant one year to plan and train for something even more epic for the big five zero. So if you have suggestions, throw them my way.
Racer #3 - Sumner Smith- winner of most consistent lap!
- Mountain biker
- runner, and hiker
- blends in well with Saguaro cactii
- Grew up in the mountains of Asheville, NC
- Still spends as much time there as possible.
What made you sign up for a 24-hour race?
An invitation from a very fun group of friends and being ready for an adventure post-Helene.
What were you most nervous about before the race, and how did that change once you were on course?
I was probably most nervous about the logistics of the hand-off between team members – understanding where to rack your bike to get the baton (which I totally did wrong the first time and it was fine) and making sure I was there on time. It all worked out great – although the later it gets in the night the harder it gets to do the math on when your teammate is going to be back from their lap.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone considering their first endurance event?
Most endurance events are an eating competition as much as they are an athletic competition – if you figure out how to take in enough nutrition it will make the race a lot more fun. And also – every event is a Choose Your Own Adventure opportunity. You get to make the race whatever you want it to be.
What was the most unexpected moment or biggest surprise of the experience?
How much fun it was to camp in the desert, how peaceful it is to ride in the middle of the night, and how much fun a group can have in 24 hours.
Racer #4- Tara Malone - wins best truck organizer!
- Brevard, NC
- Mountain biker, occasional runner and swimmer (although prefers NOT to be known as a triathlete)
- sometimes reluctant financial services executive
- Measuring life in units of adventure and fun
- Current obsessions are her dogs Timber and Hank, simplifying life, and any bike adventure with friends
What’s the dynamic like racing on a team vs. solo?
Short answer: The bigger the team, the higher the stoke! Longer answer: Solo racing is a very internally focused thing. Thinking of your own preparation, your self talk, and personal goals as a priority. But a team forces you to externally focus. It is a different kind of goal setting. One where you try to meet everyone where they were at in their race journey. Having such different personalities actually made the adventure better. Every time we loaded the truck, we got to crown a new jenga winner!
How did you and the team keep each other motivated and engaged throughout the 24 hours?
It goes back to the common goal. Most of us had never done a 24 hour MTB race. We celebrated every time someone completed a lap. Extra credit for no wrecks or close encounters of the cactus kind. So, keeping the stoke high and giving grace when things went not as planned was the key.
What was the biggest lesson you learned about teamwork?
It feels like common sense, but racing in a team does require more communication and flexibility than solo racing. Because there are more moving parts and personalities, there are more opportunities for things to be different than envisioned; however, we did a great job of planning, setting reasonable goals, and aligning expectations. I think everyone had to compromise at some point, but I also think everyone experienced something new and exciting.
Would you do it again solo or stick with the team experience?
Team experience! I think 24 hour solo racing is as much a mental and a physical feat of strength. The idea of training for such an endeavor just doesn’t seem reasonable at this point of my life and responsibilities (and desire hours of sleep). Racing as team provided a great way to experience 24 hour racing with the perfect balance of racing, desert adventure, built in support structure, and challenge.
