Long course for Blood, Sweat

and Gears already sold out
By Steve Behr
 
If there are any cyclists who want to participate in the 11th annual Blood, Sweat and Gears bike ride, which is scheduled for June 27, they’ll have to settle for the short course.

That’s because all of the slots for the 100-mile course are sold out. In fact, the 750 slots have been sold out since early April, each being sold for a $50 entry fee.

That leaves about 250 positions available for the 50-mile ride, according to race director Sonny Sweet. The ride, because of restrictions when it comes to riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway, is capped at 1,250.

Sweet said recent rain has not discouraged riders from signing up for the ride, which is the major fund raiser for the Watauga County Red Cross disaster fund. Neither have the recent hard economic times.

“Our first concern was the economy, but we’ve sold out faster than we ever had in our history,” Sweet said. “It must not be affecting those who ride bicycles.”

Last year, the ride (it’s called a ride instead of a race since the cyclists ride with cars in traffic) raised around $44,000 for the Jeremy Fund, which is the disaster fund for the Red Cross. There were 1,237 overall riders in last year’s ride, with the 100-mile course selling out well before it began.

This year’s ride could attract enough cyclists to sell out both courses.

“We’ve had rave reviews from all the guys who have ridden it,” Sweet said. “We’ve been delighted with that.”

The 2009 courses won’t be much different from previous routes. Sweet said construction on some roads and a bridge will detour the course, but it will still go over Snake Mountain like it always does.

“We’ve had some requests to flatten 1,000 feet off Snake Mountain,” Sweet joked.

Sweet said there is still a need for about 165 volunteers to work the start-finish line and to work aid stations along the courses. They also help with traffic control.

He said that it’s not as hard to get volunteers as it used to be because so many return each year.

“The good thing is that the same people come back and it makes it fun and easy on everybody,” Sweet said. “It’s like a family. Things have been going remarkably smooth.”