Black Friday 100 FAQ

Year six. Midnight to 4:20. Here's everything you need to know.

When does it start?

The course opens at 12:00AM on Friday, November 27 and closes at 4:20PM. You've got three ways to start:

• Midnight start (12:00AM): the main event. Headlamps, the grill heating up, everyone on the line together, and you're in the Midnight Crew. Required for the 100 Miles-ish Ride, Double Cross 100, Double Cross 50/50, Full FSX Season in One Day, the 16:20 Challenge and the Rock Relay.
• 8AM group start: the sunrise crew. Sleep in, start with a pack.
• Open start: roll in whenever you want. Your clock starts when you start.

The 8AM and open starts work for the 10k-ish, Half Marathon-ish, Marathon-ish, 50k-ish Ultra, the 50k / 50 Mile / 100k rides and Double Cross Lite. Whichever you pick, your distance has to be done by 4:20. Tell us your plan when you register.

Which events require a midnight start?

The 100 Mile Ride, the Double Cross 100, the Double Cross 50/50, the Full FSX Season in One Day, the 16:20 Challenge and the Rock Relay. You must be on course for a lap at 12:00AM. After that, it's your day.

What's the Midnight Crew?

Anyone on the line at 12:00AM is the Midnight Crew. The Midnight Crew eats first and gets the best parking, inside the compost center.

How long is a lap?

1.6 miles-ish. Every distance is "-ish." Check each event for its lap count.

How do I win?

Elapsed time, not clock time. Your clock starts when you start. Start at 7am, finish 100 miles at 4pm, and your 9 hours beats somebody's 14 hours from midnight. Timed events (the 16:20 Challenge) go to whoever covers the most laps. The 100-mile mark to beat is Aaron Longstaff's 9:22 from 2023.

Can I do it as a relay?

Yes. Every distance can be a relay. There's no separate relay event: you pick a distance, then build your team during registration. Teams are 2 to 8 people.

How does my relay team sign up?

1. Captain goes first. Register for your team's distance. At the Group/Team step, choose Create a Group/Team, pick Relay Team and name your team.
2. Then send your teammates the link. Each one registers for the same distance, chooses Join a Group/Team and searches for your team name.
3. Everyone pays their own entry ($30 each, so a team of 4 is $120) and brings their own 6-pack.

Don't skip the Group/Team step. If you do, you're registered as a solo. Already signed up solo? Email us and we'll move you onto your team.

How do relays work on course?

One person on course at a time, unless you stay together for the whole event. Pass the computer, not a baton: run one GPS device and hand it off at each exchange. Rock Relay teams follow their own rules (below).

What's the Rock Relay?

It's the Black Friday version of the Fifth Street Rock Monster Ultra Rock Relay from the spring. Teams of three race as one, but two teammates have to run together every lap. The team races 19 laps, about 100k of combined running. Midnight start required, and part of the strategy is racing the other teams.

To sign up, follow the relay steps above, but register for the Rock Relay and choose Rock Relay Team. Teams are exactly 3, and the Rock Relay is the one event where you have to be on a team.

What's the 16:20 Challenge?

How many laps can you do from midnight to 4:20PM? Pick ONE: run or ride. No mixing. The prize gets split between the runners and the riders. You have to do at least one lap at midnight. After that, you can nap and come back.

What's Double Cross?

Run AND ride. The Double Cross 100 is a 50k run plus a 50k ride (midnight start). The Double Cross 50/50 is a 50k run plus a 50 mile ride, about 80 miles total (midnight start). Double Cross Lite is a Half Marathon run plus a 50k ride. Do them in either order.

What's the 6-pack rule?

This is a 6-pack event. Bring one (beer or the like) with your entry fee, or bring an extra $20 for the prize pot. Winners take home their category's haul at 4:20.

Do I need a racing license?

No USA Cycling membership is required to ride. We're covered under USATF Permit 165809 for insurance. You do have to sign a waiver.

Refunds?

No refunds.

Where do I park?

Midnight Crew perk: arrive before midnight and you park inside the compost center. After that, use the regular FSX lot at the intersection of Kline's Lane and East Minor Street, then ride or walk in.

What's on the menu?

One hot thing off the grill every 2 hours, midnight to the cutoff. The Midnight Crew eats first.

• 12:00 AM · Grilled cheese
• 2:00 AM · Hot ramen + sipping broth
• 4:00 AM · Griddled PB&J (Elvis option with banana)
• 6:00 AM · Pancakes, eggs & bacon
• 8:00 AM · Pancakes, eggs & bacon, round 2
• 10:00 AM · Griddled pierogies & onions
• 12:00 PM · Grill pizzas
• 2:00 PM · Last-lap cinnamon-sugar donuts
• 4:00 PM · Finisher dogs

All night: hot chocolate (12 AM–10 AM), coffee (4 AM–2 PM), hot apple cider (10 AM–4:20 PM). The grills are fired up all day, so bring your own meat too. BYOB.

Awards

Awards happen around 4:20PM. Winners take their category's prizes and 6-packs.

Race rules

1. Don't be a dick.
2. Finish your distance by 4:20PM. The clock doesn't move for anybody.
3. Midnight-start events: be on course for a lap at 12:00AM.
4. Bring lights. It's dark until about 7am.
5. Relays: one teammate on course at a time unless you stay together the whole event.
6. Don't break the tape. If you break it, you fix it.
7. Please patronize our sponsors.
8. If you get hurt, it's your fault. Sign a damn waiver.
9. The promoter's ruling is final.
10. Seriously, don't be a dick.