In the inaugural Bend Dirt Fest, competitors can choose one race: a half-marathon trail run, a 54-mile gravel grinder or a 36-mile mountain bike course. (submitted photo)

The popular Oregon 24 mountain biking event was set for its 16th edition this month at Wanoga Sno-park west of Bend.

But in April, race organizer Mike Ripley was informed by the U.S. Forest Service that he could no longer stage the event, in which solo riders or teams race a 13-mile loop as many times as they can in a 24- or 12-hour period while camping at Wanoga.

“After the land was reclaimed for our dirt camping, we really didn’t fit the venue anymore,” said Ripley, owner of Mudslinger Events. “I get it. The Forest Service doesn’t have any more staff to monitor people in areas that really aren’t designated.”

The race was already sold out, so Ripley had to think fast to come up with another event for July 12.

Enter the inaugural Bend Dirt Fest, in which competitors can choose one race: a half-marathon trail run, a 54-mile gravel grinder or a 36-mile mountain bike course.

All three races this Saturday start and finish at the Athletic Club of Bend and incorporate singletrack trails and dirt/gravel roads between the club and Wanoga. Online registration is closed but in-person registration will be allowed on Saturday until 7:30 a.m.

“This is an event that has three different groups,” Ripley said. “It’s not going to be big. We’ve got about 140 people signed up so far, for all three. But I do think it’s really got room to grow, for being that kind of July culture event. People were thinking it’s a relay. No. You just do it solo. But we’ll have different categories.”

Ripley said he was “totally bummed” about losing the Oregon 24, which had become an annual tradition for many mountain biking families.

“People would basically plan their year around coming up with their RV and posting up with their kids,” he said. “We would have about 90 kids do the event. It was very family-oriented, and people would make the voyage every year from as far as California, Idaho. All night laps, and just a lot of social connectivity.”

Ripley hopes to continue that social connectivity with the Bend Dirt Fest. So far, he has more participants signed up for the mountain bike race and the gravel race, but he thinks the trail running race will become more popular in years to come.

“For Year 1, the bike ones are more popular, just because probably that’s what my events are known for,” he said. “That’s the audience that caught it. In the future I think the run will dwarf the others, just because of the number of runners there are.”

Ripley described the courses as “hard enough, but not stupid-hard.”

“It’s dusty and loose,” he said. “Gravel in Central Oregon is not your typical gravel, it’s dirt combined with cinder. It’s definitely spicy.”

The gravel and mountain bike races share the Wanoga area during the event, while the half-marathon course is separate, and includes portions of the Haul Road and other singletrack and dirt roads.

“We’re keeping it all in a nice little bubble,” Ripley said. “It’s just nice to have a roll-out-of-bed event on the west side, and I’m really thankful to the Athletic Club.”

Ripley noted that designated parking for spectators will be located at OSU Cascades. The finish area at the Athletic Club will include awards, refreshments and live music.

On July 19, Mudslinger Events will host the 17th edition of the High Cascades 100, a 100-mile mountain bike race that weaves along singletrack west of Bend and also starts and finishes at the Athletic Club of Bend.

The High Cascades 100 draws top pros and elites from throughout the Northwest, as well as intermediate riders who just want the thrill and memory of pushing themselves to go 100 miles.

For more information, visit mudslingerevents.com.