SANTA MONICA, CA (November 17, 2002) - Out of the darkness six silhouettes appeared on the sand, two teams sprinting to the finish line at the end of an 79-mile course. Nearly 14 hours after the start of the decisive BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure, Teams Earthlink and SoBe crossed the threshold together - the carnage would be sorted afterward.

Team Earthlink's Robyn Benincasa came over the line, collapsing on the ground below, followed by Earthlink's Isaac Wilson, then Team SoBe's Danelle Ballengee and Michael Tobin, Ballengee falling to the ground as well. The deciding factor would be the order the third and final teammates crossing the line. Earthlink's Jason Middleton crossed the line with SoBe's Mike Kloser just one one-hundreth of a second behind him. Team Earthlink, with a time of 13:55:00, won the final BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure; Team SoBe, across the line at 13:55:01, captured second place.

Replaying the final frantic moments, Earthlink's Benincasa said, "We hadn't looked back in a while, and at the last moment, Isaac looked back and started yelling Sprint, Sprint, Sprint! The last thing I remember seeing was the blue finish line banner and diving for it."

The final stop of the 2002 BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure began on Santa Monica Beach with a 15-mile kayaking leg, heading north to Dan Blocker Beach. Teams exited the water and headed east to Malibu Creek State Park on a 17-mile trek through varying landscapes. Completing the first trekking leg, teams then began a 43-mile mountain bike leg heading south along the ridge lines and canyons of southern California. Teams left their mountain bikes at Will Rogers State Park, completing the 79-mile course with a 4-mile trek back through the finish line at Santa Monica Beach.

Team Epinephrine placed third, coming in just seven minutes behind the top finishers at 14:02:05, while Team Balance Bar rounded out the top-four at 14:42:27. Team Balance Bar captain Bob Schulz reflected on the race and series, "There was a lot of early climbing and it got hot out on the course," said Schulz. "I grew up [in the Los Angeles area], my family was along the course the whole way, and it was great to finish the series with a homecoming."

With first place finishes in two of five events, and second place showings in the remainder, Team SoBe was crowned series champion of the BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure. In addition to individual event earnings, Team SoBe takes home $15,000 for their overall efforts. Earning 560 points for Team SoBe throughout the Series, Ballengee, Kloser and Tobin have become the premier team in Adventure Racing and the BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Champion. Team Epinephrine earns 2nd place honors with 440 points, while Team Balance Bar, with 418 points, rounded out the top three.

Walking toward the finish area to congratulate third place finishers Team Epinephrine, SoBe's Mike Kloser reflected on the spectacular finish and congratulated his teammates on their Series victory, "We may have lost today's battle, but we won the year's war."

The 2002 BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure, the ultimate test of physical endurance, made stops in Phoenix, Portland, Boston, New York and finished with the series championship in Los Angeles, CA. Teams of three will vie for the National Championship title as sanctioned by USA Adventure Racing. The BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure Series offers $15,000 per event for elite coed division competitors and a total purse of $110,000.

The BALANCE® Bar 24-Hour Adventure is televised on the Outdoor Life Network in one-hour feature presentations. Upcoming broadcast airings include the Boston race on December 4th at 10:00 PM EST, New York event on December 11th at 10:00 PM EST and the Santa Monica race on December 18th at 10:00 PM EST. Entry fee for each BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure is $750 per team. For further information, please visit the BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure web site www.BalanceBar24hour.com or call (818) 707-8867.

RESULTS 2002 Final BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure Coed Elite Division Standings
1. Team SoBe - 560 pts - $15,000
2. Team Epinephrine - 440 pts - $9,000
3. Team Balance Bar - 418 pts - $6,000
4. Team Oxydol - 397 pts - $3,000
5. Team Earthlink - 363 pts - $2,000

LA BALANCE Bar 24-Hour Adventure Final Standings
Coed Elite Division
1. Team Earthlink - 13:55:00 (Robyn Benincasa, Cardif, CA, Jason Middleton, Santa Monica, CA, Isaac Wilson Park City, UT)
2. Team SoBe - 13:55:02 (Danelle Ballengee, Dillon, CO, Mike Kloser, Vail, CO, Michael Tobin, Boise, ID)
3. Team Epinephrine - 14:02:05 (Rick Baraff, Santa Minica, CA, Karen Lundgren, Big Bear Lake, CA, Paul Romero, Big Bear Lake, CA)
4. Team Balance Bar -14:42:27 (Ann Hall, Morgan Hill, CA, Bob Schulz, Carlsbad, CA, Harald Zundel, Encinitas, CA)

— Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Gear Editor