The Big Dam Bridge 100 will look a little different this year.
The 2020 Big Dam Bridge 100 (BDB100) cycling tour will offer cyclists two different ride options as an alternate plan to the traditional 3,000-plus participant ride that was originally scheduled for Sept. 26.
“This is a first in the history of our ride and it is not the path we wanted to take, but after countless hours of planning and considerations, we believe it is more prudent to consider the fact that we don’t know what COVID-19 will hand us during the next two months, and the health and safety of our cyclists is our priority,” race director Bruce Dunn said.
“In the spirit of trying to cater to the different preferences of our participants, we decided to offer a hybrid event so cyclists can choose which option works best for them. We’re moving forward with two great options – and an incredible swag bag, either way you go!”
Cyclists who still plan to travel to central Arkansas for a live ride on Sept. 26, or any time before the end of the year, may take part in the In-Person Solo Challenge on the BDB100 course. The Solo Challenge will not be an organized event, so no aid stations will be in place and the route won’t be marked.
The second option is the BDB100 Driveway Challenge, which is a virtual event for cyclists to ride the course any time and any place. The virtual event may be found on the RaceJoy app that provides participants with a virtual route of the actual course, mile tracking, pacing, virtual cheer sections and other features.
Any cyclist who is currently registered and chooses to not participate in either event this year may roll their registration to the 2021 ride at no cost. Cyclists who have already registered for the BDB100 cycling tour must edit their registration to change the category and select either the Solo Challenge, the Driveway Challenge or roll their registration to the 2021 BDB100 event.
The annual BDB100 has attracted more than 3,500 cyclists to central Arkansas from across the nation and world, offering routes ranging from 15 to 105 miles. The ride is a celebration of the Big Dam Bridge, a 4,226-foot bridge over the Arkansas River connecting Little Rock to North Little Rock. It is the longest bridge in North America built for pedestrians and bicycle traffic.
For more information and to register, visit the BDB100 website.