The trails are calling as the Six in the Stix mountain bike race nears, which will be based at the upper parking lot at the College of the Rockies.
Heading into it’s fourth year, the race has been split up into two days, with the kids race on Saturday, Sept. 21st, followed by the adults on Sunday.
It’s the first year that the event has split up the kids and the adults on two different days, which should make managing things a bit easier, said Charlie Cooper, of RM Events, who is partnering up with Favorit Cycles to put on the race.
The kids, which can be anywhere between three to 15 years of age, can race on three different courses. For the really young riders that may still be on tricycles or training wheels, there will be a 15-minute circuit on the parking lot pavement. There will also be a 30-minute and 60-minute circuits for the older and more experienced youth riders.
The 30-minute and 60-minute kids courses will be roughly one kilometre long, with the goal of completing as many laps as possible within the allotted time frame.
“Really hoping that we get a lot of youth and kids coming out, so basically age three all the way to 15 and any kind of bike goes—a stride bike, a tricycle, a four-wheeler with training wheels,” said Cooper.
“This will give the chance for parents to cheer their kids on, on Saturday, so that if one or two parents are participating on Sunday—which we have quite a few families that way—then they can entirely focus themselves on their children.”
Parents can sign in at Favorit Cycles on Saturday, before heading into the adult course on Sunday.
Sunday’s event features a six-hour solo ride or a two-person relay team over a 12-kilometre course with the goal of completing as many laps as possible.
The COTR parking lot will be the central hub of activity, serving as the transition point for relay teams and will include an MC and DJ to liven up the atmosphere.
So far, registration numbers are looking pretty good, but there is always room for more, added Cooper.
“People are coming from further away and maybe they’ll bring more people with them in the next few days and they’ll be able to sign up some friends and family,” said Cooper, “but also, if we put on a really nice event, they’ll hopefully spread the word from where they came from and we can build the event over the next few years.”
The Wildhorse Cycling Club will provide a barbecue lunch that included with the race package, with proceeds going towards community initiatives such as trail maintenance.
“Lots going on with cycling,” continued Cooper. “We had the Gran Fondo here this past weekend, and hopefully we can get more kids involved with cycling—it seems like there’s a good buzz going on.”
If any volunteers are interested in helping out with the event, Cooper will gladly find a role for them. He can be reached via email at: charlie@rmevents.com
Anyone interested in competing in the event can register at: www.rmevents.com/stix.htm