By: Ryan Duey
Photo Courtesy of Wild West Gravel Fest
Abilene’s Wild West Gravel Fest is back for another year of racing on Saturday, September 20th. This annual bicycle race, meant for bicyclists of all experiences, will feature 200K, 100K, and 50K routes through the scenic gravel roads of Dickinson County.
John Kollhoff, Gravel Fest Coordinator, said this year’s event will be held in conjunction with Abilene’s Oktoberfest Celebration, adding a full day of fun and excitement in Abilene.
“We’re really excited to put on the Wild West Gravel Fest and have bike racing right here in Abilene, KS.”
“We’ve got a lot of support from some of our community groups to provide aid stations to make sure everybody stays well fed and hydrated.”
“We are also excited to do this in conjunction with the Oktoberfest in downtown Abilene, so it should be just a great weekend to be out in Abilene.”
A new addition to this year’s Gravel Fest will be cash prizes for the top winners. Kollhoff said the top three finishers of the 200K and 100K will win a cash prize, with the 50K winner also receiving a cash prize.
Kollhoff said this event is a great day to get out and enjoy a ride on the gravel.
“I think we have a really nice grassroots event.”
“We have a lot of support from the Community groups and from local businesses to help support the riders, and it’s really just a good time to come out and ride.”
“Usually, the weather is really nice this time of year, so we typically have a great day for riding our bikes out on the gravel.”
Registration for all three races is still open. For more information on this year’s Wild West Gravel Fest, or to get registered, visit www.wildwestgravelfest.com.
