It’s not every bike rider who’s up for the Jasper Disaster, a 58-mile ride through Jasper and Harrison that’s the most challenging part of the Tour de Hills.
The name comes from the strenuous, hilly nature of the ride, not from any historic catastrophe, as event organizer Amanda Gipson explains: “No one’s actually had a disaster on it.” Although an unprepared rider certainly could.
Those hills in the Harrison area are scenic and a big draw, but they also present a big challenge for people tackling them on two wheels and pedal power.
“For racers who like to do climbing, it’s perfect for them,” Gipson says. “It’s a huge challenge.”
The Tour de Hills, a combination tour and race that’s now in its ninth year, starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Brandon Burlsworth Youth Center, 202 S. Spring St. in Harrison.
The race component is a USA Cycling-sanctioned payout race, and all racers must have a U.S. Cycling Federation license to participate. One-day licenses are available.
It’s the noncompetitive tour, though, that usually draws the most riders.
There are three route options. The 15-mile scenic ride has just a few smaller hills and is ideal for families. Then there’s a more challenging 26-mile ride and, for those who want to tackle the Jasper Disaster with less pressure, there’s the 58-mile tour.
There will be fully stocked rest stations along the route, and wagons will sweep the routes to pick up injured, stranded or just plain exhausted riders.
After the tour and race, Pizza Hut will cater a big pizza and pasta party where, Gipson says, “people can sit down and talk about the Disaster.”
Registration for the race is $45 ($40 for juniors), while tour registration is $35 ($25 for ages 17 and under). Racers will pay other fees based on their event. Registration is available in advance or on-site up until 9:15 a.m. on race day, and all proceeds benefit the Harrison Kiwanis Club.
Call (870) 741-2346 or visit tourdehills.com.
Long ride
When it comes to challenging rides, the 65 Roses Bicycle Tour, 7:30 a.m. Saturday in Searcy, has its own bundle of “joy.”
“There’s something we lovingly refer to as Joy Mountain that’s all but joyful,” laughs tour organizer Amber Carson. “It’s pretty intense, steep. It curves and just keeps going.”
There are four route options in the tour: 65, 50 and 35 miles and a fun ride that’s a little less than 10 miles. The fun ride has a new route this year to include safer, more scenic bike trails around Searcy. The 35-miler has some rolling hills, and the two longest options get steep.
The purpose of the ride, besides the exercise and enjoying the scenery, is to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The term “65 roses” is another name for the disease, adopted by children who find the real name difficult to pronounce, and now a trademark for the foundation.
Early packet pick-up and registration will be available from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bike City, 1506 W. Beebe Capps Expressway in Searcy. Right next door, Brick Oven Pizza will host a “Carbs and Acoustic Guitars” pasta dinner. So participants can grab their packets, then step next door for dinner and music.
Organizers will also feed participants lunch after their tour.
Registration is $25 for the fun ride, $45 for the others, with an online registration deadline of Friday, though registration will be available from 6:30 to 7:15 a.m. Saturday. Carson says 100 percent of registration fees go directly to the foundation.
Call (501) 278-5515 or visit the65rosestour.com.
Short runners
In a time when it seems like a day can’t pass without some new report on obesity and the sedentary nature of children, Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center is making an effort to get whole families outside and moving. The Kids Run Arkansas race begins at 6 p.m. Friday at Laurel Park in Conway.
The run has one- and three-mile options and despite the name, it’s open to runners of all ages.
There’s no pressure. No chips. No winners, no losers. No trophies (but there are ribbons for everyone). It’s a fun run, with an emphasis on the “fun.”
“It’s my hope that if they catch that vision at an early age, they’ll see that running is fun and exercise is fun,” says race director Heather Kendrick.
The idea is to instill that fun with a lot of encouragement. Volunteers will line both of the looped routes to urge the young runners on. “They’re seeing smiling, cheering faces at every moment on the course,” Kendrick says.
It doesn’t stop with the run. There’s a full evening of face painting, music, sack races, football and soccer drills and food from area restaurants.
“That can be your Friday event as a family,” Kendrick suggests. “Your kids will be fed and worn out. It’s a full night.”
More than 600 people are already registered for the sixth annual run, and registration continues right up through the night of the event.
Registration is $9 per child or $28 for a family of four. Money raised will help pay for P.E. programs at the three area schools with the highest Kids Run participation rate.
Call (501) 450-9292.
Big screen
Those who’ve always had a dream of getting on the Jumbotron at War Memorial Stadium might get their chance at the fourth annual Tour de Paul 5K, 8 a.m. Saturday.
The 5K is the third event in the Tour de Paul, a trifecta of physical activity presented by St. Vincent Health System that includes tennis and golf tournaments.
No changes have been made this year, so those who’ve run the race before know what to expect. It begins outside War Memorial, continuing on through the golf course, up to St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center and ending back at War Memorial, where the Jumbotron will beam images of runners as they cross the finish line.
Awards are given to male and female overall and for male and female runners in age groups that range from 10 and under to 65 plus.
It’s a family-friendly race, open to all ages. It’s also chip-timed, so serious runners looking to shave a few seconds off their personal record can have an official count.
Registration is $25 before the race, $30 the day of the race and $15 for children 10 and under. Proceeds benefit three St. Vincent specialty areas: Arkansas Neuroscience Institute, St. Vincent Orthopaedic Institute and the Jack Stephens Heart Institute.
Call (501) 552-2380 or visit stvincenthealth.com/tourdepaul.
ActiveStyle, Pages 24 on 04/14/2014