Support 25th Anniversary of Lotoja
The 25th annual Lotoja Bike Race begins Saturday, with the first pack of cyclists leaving Logan at 6:30 a.m.
Avid bicyclists from all over the country flock to Cache Valley for the annual 206-mile race from Logan to Jackson Hole.
This year’s race starts at Sunrise Cyclery, located at 100 E. 150 North in Logan, and takes the participants up to Jackson Hole, Wyo. Lotoja is capped at 1,000 participants and is the longest U.S. Cycling Federation-sanctioned event in the country. Since it is not a weather-dependent race, participants must be prepared for all types of weather and terrain. The highest elevation on the course reaches just over 7,500 feet.
According to lotojaclassic.com, the Lotoja Bike Race was pioneered and mapped by David Bern and Jeff Keller. Their desire for a European-style bicycle race set the course for this annual tradition. In 1982, nine cyclists, including the two founders, set off on the mapped course. Just over nine hours later, Bob VanSlyke crossed the finish line, taking first place, the Web site said.
The Lotoja Bike Race is a fund-raising event. Cyclist packs will begin the course periodically from 6:30 until 7:45 a.m.