Athletes, riders, and residents from all over the Valley gathered at Vail Lake Resort on Saturday, Jan. 19, and Sunday, Jan. 20, to participate in "12 & 6 Hours of Temecula" – an endurance mountain bike racing series.

Hosted by SoCal Endurance, the event features teams from all over southern California and was sponsored by local businesses such as The Bike Shop of Temecula Valley, Elite Athlete Training, and various food mobiles, to name a few.

The 12- and 6-hour races are three race relay races consisting of team and solo riders. The 12-hour race begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 9 p.m. The 6-hour race respectively begins at 9 a.m. and Advertisement

[ Murrieta Volkswagen ] concludes at 3 p.m. Races begin with a parade lap and the race ends when the last person crosses the finish line, with awards distributed after the posting of the final results.

Children from ages 1- to 12-years-old were also able to participate at no cost in a separate race that began at 12 noon.

The SoCal Endurance series is "a grass-roots event with an old-school racing feel," according to the organization’s online site. The site states that the focus of the events is to "give racers an awesome experience" and all races are held rain or shine.

Total laps and times will be used to determine the 2013 California State Endurance Champions.