The 25-year-old has joined with fellow Canberran Nathan Haas, Daniel Braunsteins and Daniel McConnell to race for Crowne Plaza Canberra in the elite men's race in the annual event at Stromlo Forest Park starting 12noon today.

If the victorious Henderson's team will become the first non-industry team to win the elite section.

Henderson, entering his fifth Scott 24-hour, helped put together the high-class team at the request of the hotel.

''The Crown Plaza guys wanted to put together a team that could win the event and I was able to talk to the guys and put together a team,'' Henderson said. ''In past years I've been doing it more casually but this year it'll be a bit more serious.''

Henderson, Haas and McConnell enter the 11th edition of the Canberra Off-Road Cyclists-run event in good form after competing at the world mountain bike championships at Stromlo in September.

McConnell also brings racing experience as Australia's only male Beijing Olympics mountain bike representative.

Henderson rated the Endura Rockstars, winners of the 2008 Mont 24-hour in ACT's Sparrow Hill forest, as the biggest threat but was confident his team's race strategy would prevail.

''We'll try to ride from the front from the outset,'' Henderson said.

''We'll send Dan McConnell first, we hope he'll be leading from the first lap. We'll try to lead from start to finish, try to put the pressure on the other teams.''

Today's event is shaping to be the biggest Scott 24 in it's 11-year history, reaching its capacity of 2500 entrants yesterday.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times