Registration for 2010 Hyde Park Blast Opens
Cycling Races on 2010 USA CRITS Series
(Cincinnati, OH) March 2, 2010 – The 9th Annual Hyde Park Blast will be held on June 26, 2010 with a day full of activities for everyone followed by the Blast Block Party with The Rusty Griswolds. The day will start with the 4-mile run/walk race, followed by kids races in the morning with cycling races, the elite run and the Block Party celebration in the evening at 5 p.m.
“2009 was an excellent year for The Blast with more people attending every event than any year in our history,” said Cheryl Koopman, co-founder and president of the Hyde Park Blast Board. “We’re hoping to capitalize on the momentum from last year with even more runners, walkers, kids, cyclists and celebrators at the Block Party. The Blast has become one of the biggest day-long events in Cincinnati.”
The 2010 Hyde Park Blast criterium races join ten cities across the United States as the 3rd event on the 2010 USA CRITS Schedule. Three cycling events will be held in Ohio starting with the Madeira Centennial Criterium on Friday, June 25th, the Blast races on Saturday, the 26th and the Tour de Grandview on Sunday, the 27th in Columbus.
"We are thrilled that the Hyde Park Blast criterium races are included in the 2010 USA CRITS series," said Greg Tankersley, coordinator of the criterium races for the Blast. "The Blast cycling races have grown dramatically and draw cyclists from around the world and the U.S. as well as spectators from throughout Cincinnati. 2009 was a banner year for the Blast and we're planning for an even bigger and better 2010."
The schedule for the 2010 Hyde Park Blast is:
6:30 am: Run/Walk Race Day Registration
8:00 am: 4 mile Run/Walk Start
10:00 am: Kids Run Races
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Cycling Criterium Races & Elite Run Race
6:00 pm - 12 am: Block Party w/ The Rusty Griswolds
The run/walk will take place on the RRCA Championship 4-mile loop that launched in 2008 – a scenic and challenging loop that starts just West of Hyde Park Square, winds through Hyde Park, and ends East of the Square.
The races that form the USA CRITS series have the ideals that have made criterium racing an American legacy: challenging courses that showcase arts and entertainment districts; a large and growing base of spectators; broad community support; and strong marketing opportunities for sponsors.
The USA CRITS Series was developed to feature amateur and professional cyclists and offer venues, teams and riders the ability to excel in a unique discipline of cycling. Because criteriums are historically run on short laps through city streets, they offer spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians, world and national champions up-close as they ride at top speed for up to two hours. This has made the criterium format the most spectator-friendly form of cycling. When staged according to time-honored traditions, these races often draw more than 30,000 fans per event.
Anyone interested in running the elite race should contact Jeff Branhan at The Running Spot in Newport at 859-491-9500 or jbranhan@aol.com
Please register for the day's activities or to volunteer at www.hpblast.org or check the website for more information and details about the Hyde Park Blast.
Follow the Blast on Facebook and Twitter.
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About the Hyde Park Blast
The Blast is one of Cincinnati's largest neighborhood events and will include a 4-mile morning run/walk, kids race, criterium races and Block Party with music by the Rusty Griswold’s in the evening. Proceeds from the 2010 Hyde Park Blast will be given to The Wellness Community and CancerFree Kids. More information is available at www.hpblast.com.