Tour de State College: Charity Bike Race Comes to Town Next Week

It’s one thing to watch the Tour de France on TV. It’s another to stand on the sidewalk as the racers whip by you.

Maybe you can’t make out to France, but you might be able to come downtown next weekend for State College’s very own Nittany Stage Race.

On August 1 and 2, the Nittany Stage Race will combine state championships for hardcore cyclists, family friendly events perfect for the casual rider, and a festival atmosphere complete with food trucks and entertainment. The best part? All the proceeds will go to charity.

“Here in State College, we have a marathon, thousands of 5k’s, lots of football and hockey, but we don’t have a bike race,” says race organizer Andrew Artz of the Penn State Cycling Club. “And we felt this race would be most reflective of who we are as a community if we donated the money we make to help people locally.”

Artz says Central Pennsylvania has a reputation as an excellent cycling destination for its natural beauty, so the Nitany Stage Race is drawing racers from as far away as Wisconsin and Ontario.

He’s hopeful the race will raise a significant chunk of change for State College-based Bestwick Foundation, which distributes funds to causes including cancer research, special needs and mental health services, and underprivileged or struggling families.

“The Bestwick Foundation is a fairly new organization, but every penny we take in goes right back out into our streets,” says foundation events coordinator Chuck Morrison. “So even if we only make a thousand dollars, that’s a thousand dollars that will help someone in need.”

The events consists of three races: a major road race on Saturday at Black Moshannon State Park, and then on Sunday there will be a time trial and a multi-lap race known as a Criterium across downtown and the Penn State campus.

The Rattlesnake Road Race at Black Moshannon will also double as the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference’s state championship race for women bikers, which Artz finds especially exciting.

“Out race is a little bit different from most because we’re offering men and women the exact same prize purse, which is, unfortunately, not a common thing,” Artz says. “We want to make this event friendly for everyone, so when we learned we had to opportunity to host the women’s state championship, we thought that was really great.”

Artz says the events on Sunday will cross over from the Penn State campus through downtown, and will make for a fun day out to watch the races. Sunday will also feature food trucks and sit down massages, creating a fun festival atmosphere.

Registration for every race will be open until Friday, July 31, so Artz encourages anyone who wants to ride to sign up online. Even if you’ve never ridden competitively, Artz says the events on Sunday are perfect for casual riders who want to have a good time for a good cause.

“What I want, more than anything, is for State College to come out and see this great event we’re putting on, to enjoy it, and to want it to come back next year,” Artz says.