This 24-hour race is the ultimate challenge for man and machine

John O’Mahony spends 48 hours at the world’s 24-hour race

THE burly, blonde barman, painted from head to toe in Smurf blue handed over the beers in large plastic beakers. Close by, what looked like a woman dressed as a dinosaur, waltzed between the rows of tables with a bearded man in a string vest, grabbing her a little too close for comfort.

At one of the tables, a topless guy was struggling to make an impression in an arm wrestling content, while in the next seat another of the party tried to stuff a foot long hot dog into the back pocket of an unsuspecting stranger, bun and all.