The 2006 NACCC is being organized by members of the Philadelphia Bicycle Messenger Association. Kevin "Stewy" Stewart, Michael Dailey, Jake Blickenov, cover boy Eric Lonowski, Andrea Banks, Marco Creacy, Corey Hilliard, Willis Johnson, Danny Woods and Roland Burns of RELoad bags have headed the charge. They are all, with the exception of Burns, working couriers. Finding the time to organize a continental championship on a shoestring budget wasn't easy. But after switching locations to Memorial Hall (closing down the streets for two days at the original Northern Liberties site proved too expensive) and an 11th hour effort to get shirts and programs printed, iron out registration, acquire a computer program to track the times and nail down a thousand other details, all without anyone actually being "in charge," the race is ready to go off. According to Burns, "We got all the permits, and we're just finalizing stuff like how to keep the beer cold at the party."

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Here's how it'll work.

• Though riders are encouraged to register online ahead of time, many are expected to register on Friday (riders must be registered and paid up by 10 a.m. Saturday. Registration will take place at Tattooed Mom, 530 South St.).
• A group ride will start at 6 p.m. Friday and end at the kickoff party, where qualifications for "goldsprints" will be held from 9 p.m. until dawn. Goldsprints pit paired riders on stationary bikes that are hooked up to computers; first person to a predetermined virtual distance advances. (Goldsprints are sometimes contested in a state of inebriation.)

• From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., riders will race in qualifying heats. It's estimated that somewhere between 350 and 500 racers will register. (East Coast NACCCs tend to bring out more racers since courier hubs are densely packed here.) Starting on North Concourse Drive near Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, the racers in each heat will be given one of several different 12-drop manifests and will be racing against the clock. Since riders in each heat will have different instructions, there's little benefit to following another racer. At the end of the day, the top finishers on each manifest will qualify for the Sunday finals. Unlike other races, where a spectator's best plan is to pick a spot and stay there, Joel Metz recommends roaming the course to keep tabs on the action.
• At noon, qualifying rounds for track events will be held.
• At 2 p.m. sprint qualifiers will be held.

• At 9 a.m. an open forum will be held to discuss issues vital to couriers, including health insurance, unionizing and the effect of the Internet on the profession.
• From 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. the racers who qualified in the Saturday heats will duke it out in the finals. Unlike Saturday's qualifying rounds, where it can take several hours to determine who has the best times, the finals are more cut-and-dry. All riders race at once, using the same manifests. Once a rider finishes one manifest, he or she starts another. Whoever completes the most manifests in the four-hour time limit is the winner.
• At 6 p.m. a group photo will be taken.
• At 7 p.m., the "Messenger Prom" will take place, leading into the awards ceremony and after-party, which start at 9 p.m.

• Labor Day BBQ and bicycle polo. Times and locations to be determined.