As the autumn light begins to shift and summer winds to a close, we thought it would be a good time to give a big shout out to several folks in our community for making trail life even more enjoyable this year!
During the past few months, the trails we help maintain have welcomed several fun, inspiring, fundraising and community building events that would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of many.
We’re so grateful to these individuals who took the initiative to create opportunities for folks to commune at trails in CORA’s network because they are helping to advance outdoor culture in our region.
Up first was the Rugged Duathlon at Premier Health Atrium Bike Park in Lebanon, Ohio. This event was a run, ride, run race through both the old and new trails and skills area of the park. Big thanks to Casey Burdick of the City of Lebanon and Brian Grafton of Topo Adventure Sports for dreaming it up and bringing it to life! We’re also appreciative of Christopher Averett and Anna Shepard’s work in offering a training program to get participants ready for the race.
Also of note in June - MTBers were able to begin training in earnest for the season at England Idlewild MTB Time Trials hosted by Mark Rodgers & David Whitehouse of Boone County Parks in Burlington, Kentucky.
Meanwhile, the East Side Time Trials were taking place on the east side of Cincinnati at East Fork State Park. Brian and Megan Childress of BMC Race Management, Trail Steward Ginger Marsh and the Eastside MTBers organized these rides every Tuesday in June.
Next on the calendar was the Hueston Woods Six Hour MTB Race in July. This race was hosted by Maria Fleissner and Scott Garver and offered pride and glory to all finishers. The race also raised money for trail upkeep so that they remain a mountain biking destination for years to come.
August brought several recreation opportunities to mountain bikers in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area. Part of a larger COMBO race series called Funduro, The Devou Frienduro presented by Hueber Homes and The Devou Good Foundation took place early in the month and gave over 200 riders a chance to test their downhill mettle multiple times. An awards bash followed at Bircus Brewing with participants enjoying pizza after a day well spent.
The following week, Ginger Marsh, Trail Steward at East Fork State Park MTB Trails and Brian Childress invited several MTBers out for the East Fork Six Hour MTB Race sponsored by Angie Sexton CB Realty and 513ADHD. This event was equal parts race and party, and raised funds to support the trails at that park. Race directors delivered an excellent course that combined flowy singletrack and a sprinkling of "Gnar Nuggets." Special shout out again to BMC Race Management for the expert set up and timing of this race as well as other events this summer. They also added excitement with the live commentary and results as well as the tunes!
Back at the Lebanon Bike Park, The Bridge Adaptive and Catalyst Sports gave athletes with disabilities the incredible opportunity to try out mountain biking on the adaptive trails there. Huge thanks to Danny Meyer and crew for giving all of us a chance to widen the circle and make the sport of mountain biking accessible to all at the Adaptive Mountain Biking Try-it day. The Bridge Adaptive motto ‘It doesn’t have to be easy, it just has to be possible,’ embodies the determined spirit of every individual involved in these events, and we could not be more proud to support their efforts.
And lastly in August, Brian and Maria Bozeman, whose entire family often lends sweat equity to trail care at Tower Park, as well as BMC Race Management helped their local NICA team NKY Roots host MTB Time Trials there. The kids on the NKY Roots team put a lot of work into these trails and were stoked to invite others to join them on the trails. Special thanks to Innovative Dirt Solutions for sponsoring the events and a shoutout to Brian Childress for producing super cool 3D printed ‘Towers’ as trophies for overall winners!
THE BIGGEST THANK YOU of all goes to you, our community, for coming to these events that the people and organizations above put so much effort into. And of course, any and all steadfast sponsors make them possible in innumerable ways. We’re grateful for their ongoing advocacy to bring more trails close to home. As outdoor enjoyment grows in our region, we have your support (as well as the prerogative to have a little fun!) to credit for encouraging more activities next year. We can’t wait to see how these events expand in the future!
In the meantime - be sure to check out CORA’s Events Calendar for everything that is happening this fall, winter and next year. We have loads of group rides, camping trips and partner events already listed there, so check them out soon and pencil us in to your fall line-up. And don’t forget to put a big red circle around March 2, 2024 when we’ll host the Second Annual Bike & Trail Expo at Madtree Brewing. It’s shaping up to be bigger and better than last year!
Hope to see you all on the trails soon.