24 hours of Moab will double as US National Championships

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Chris Eatough(Image credit: Sven Martin)

The USA Cycling 24-hour National Championships are coming up next month in Moab, Utah. The October 10-11 event is being held in conjunction with the popular 24 hours of Moab in Utah. Thirteen titles - a mix of individual and team - will be awarded to newly crowned national champions.

Chris Eatough and Pua Sawicki are just two of the favorites for the solo men's and women's titles. Eatough, who won Moab in 2007, will compete in the final race of his professional career. He will face challenges from current 24-hour National Points Series (NPS) leader Brandon Draugelis, who won both the 24 hours of Big Bear and the 24 hours of 9-Mile earlier this season. Last year's winner at Moab, Josh Tostado, is also expected to return to defend his title.

In the women's race, current 24-hour national champion Pua Sawicki will defend her title. She and her husband have successfully petitioned the Guinness Book of World Records to have Moab designated as an official course for setting the "greatest distance cycled in 24 hours on a mountain bike course" record. According to race organizers, Granny Gear, any solo racer may make a bid for setting the world record; however, each racer will be responsible for providing his or her own documentation and submitting it to Guinness. In the 2008 championships, Sawicki completed 255.6 miles.

Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.