You know all about the slew of road race type events in Concord every year. There’s the Rock ‘N Race, the Capital City Classic, the Making Strides walk/run, the Run United 5K, the Friendly Kitchen 5K and many more.
But there’s one big cycling race, and it’s coming to town this Saturday.
It’s called the Concord Criterium, and it’s coming back for a 37th year.
The race is now the oldest and one of the most attended bike races in New England, race director Jean LaCroix said, and it also serves as the USA Cycling New England Championship. In other words, it’s a really big deal.
“It is a sanctioned, official event, attached to a series of regulations and everything else,” LaCroix said. “We have events throughout the day starting at 8:30 going until 6:15.”
The Concord Criterium is a race with broad appeal. While it does indeed serve as an official championship event for professional racers with USA Cycling, it’s also a family- and kid-friendly event that’s perfect for spectators.
Cyclists will ride a 1.2-mile loop around White Park, with several age categories and varying distances for each category. For example, the shortest race, for the Junior Boy/Girl division (ages 9 to 14), is 12 miles and takes 10 laps and about 31 minutes to complete. The longest race, for the Men’s Professional division, is 36 miles and takes 30 laps and about 71 minutes to finish.
Since the course is so short, this is a very fast-paced race, which makes for a great spectacle for onlookers.
“One of the attractions of the criterium is it is very spectacular,” LaCroix said. “It takes racers about 2 minutes to go around the loop, so you’ll see them many times. When you go to a longer road race, you might see them once or twice in two hours. The criterium is a show.”
It’s common to see the sidewalks lined with people holding signs cheering on their favorite racers, and for many of the residents who live along the course, it’s a fun day to look forward to every year.
“The residents around the course have always been very welcoming of the event, and it’s a special day for them, too,” LaCroix said.
The best part is that it’s free for spectators (though racers have to pay entry fees).
While the Concord Criterium had traditionally always included some food vendors, LaCroix said this year’s vendor canceled just last week, leaving this race with little hope of having anything available to eat.
“I’m scheduling to get somebody, but it’s a little bit last-minute now so I don’t know if I can,” LaCroix said.
You can always just grab something from any of the downtown eateries and bring it over with you, though.
One thing that will still be there this year is the expo area.
The parking lot at White Park will be closed to regular traffic during the race, but there will be a little racers’ village set up in that area. The expo space will be a spot where various manufacturers will display some of their products. The parking lot will also contain booths for on-site race registration, a mechanic station, a medical station and a spot for the awards ceremony at the end of the day.
Yes, there will indeed be plenty of prizes up for grabs. Many races will award winners with various cycling merchandise, but there will be some big cash prizes, too, including $1,200 for winners of the men’s and women’s pro divisions. In order to qualify for the actual championships and the big cash prizes, racers will need to have a one-year USA Cycling license. One-day licenses will be available for purchase at the event, but the one-day licenses will not make racers eligible for the championship prizes – you can still participate in the race, but if you win, you won’t get the prize.
If you’re interested in racing, there are 10 age categories for the general race and four for the sprint competition – a 500-meter sprint. There are various fees for each of the categories, ranging from $20 for the sprint to $61 for the men’s pro bracket. Go to bikereg.com/35259 to register.
If you don’t make the online registration in time, you will be able to register at the event, but there will be an added fee. You should get to the registration table at least 15 minutes before the race you intend to enter, but to be safe, get there about an hour early, LaCroix said.
For more info, go to spartasynergy.com/page14.html or call (802) 522-5093.
