Date
Sat, 16 Jan 2027
Finishes Sunday 17 January
Start
10:00
Venue
Contin Forest
On the A835 by Contin, 20 miles north-west of Inverness
Countdown
January
Twenty-four hours of mountain biking in a Highland January. Ride as many laps as you can on one 12.5 km forest loop, solo or in a team, with about 17 of those hours in the dark.
Key facts
01Human power only: no e-bikes
02One rider per team on the course at a time
03Every vehicle must carry snow chains
Create a free training plan for the Strathpuffer 24
7-day free trial, no card required
The course
One lap, on repeat
Contin Forest · one lap
Per lap12.5km
Climb / lap264m
Non-stop24hr
Start · finishOne lap · elevation
0 kmDrag map to rotate12.3 km
A long fire-road climb to the high point, then rocky, root-laced singletrack back down to the arena. Repeat for 24 hours, through the dark and the cold.
Cut-off10:00 SundayStart your last lap by then. You have until 11:00 to finish it.
Weather
Mid-January, Contin Forest
3°CTypical high
0°CTypical low
-8°CColdest in 20 years
57%Days with rain
17 hIn the dark
Highs around 3°C and lows around 0°C, but it has dropped to -8°C. Rain on 57% of days. Pack for the cold end, not the average.
NASA POWER data, 2006-2025, the week either side of race day
2026 results
Who finishes, and how
#RiderLapsTime
01Kerry MacPhee1722:50:55
02Kirsty Watson1623:42:13
03Laura Allan1524:00:35
28
Finishers
10 laps
Median laps
125 km
Median distance
108 min
Median lap time
Solo women · Distance, elevation and speed derived from official lap data, not measured.
How many laps could you do?
Get a prediction based on your recent training
Community
“The year of Slush. Absolutely mental, and a great crowd. Love the format, it makes it really accessible for amateurs like me.”
Tom E. · First bike race, solo
Coming inFirst ever bike race, after a year of injuries and only training since November. The structured plan made it feel not entirely hopeless.
What went wellFuelling. Kept it simple and easy to stick to on every lap.
What I'd changeNot going full gas on lap 2, forgetting to dib, then going full gas again on lap 3. Slow and steady next time, I promise. Conditions depending, I'd also drop tyre pressure. 25 psi was way too high for the slush.
Practical info
Before you enter
EntrySolo £120, Pair £100-110 per person, Quad £380-420 per team. Entries close 20 December 2026. Minimum age 10. Enter on sientries.co.uk
Mandatory kitEmergency food, whistle, survival blanket, emergency light, warm clothing, basic first aid kit
RegistrationFriday 15 January, 10:00-20:30, drive-through at Brahan Estate (not the venue)
ParkingOne vehicle per team. £10 car or small van, £25 campervan
CampingOn site in the forest. Fires only in raised pits, bring your own wood
Organiser
Training
Training for the Strathpuffer 24
We don't do generic plans. We combine deep knowledge of this race's demands with your recent training, then build a plan with you that progresses as you do.
Beina integrates directly with your existing tools to understand your current fitness, and synchronise your planned sessions.
Intervals.icuBase
Typical sessions
Long endurance rides, building from 2 to 4 hours
Foundation rides and strength work
Skills sessions on technical trail
Build
Typical sessions
Threshold and hill-repeat intervals
First night rides, one every two weeks
Long weekend ride, building past 5 hours
Sharpen
Typical sessions
Race simulations and long night rides
Cold-weather riding and a full kit test
Taper: short openers, easy spins, extra rest
Entries open now
Get your Strathpuffer 24 plan.
7-day free trial, no card required.
