19th annual Tour the Montour set for Sept. 25
The 2021 Gateway Engineers Tour the Montour, presented by the Montour Trail Council, is scheduled for Sept. 25, rain or shine.
“Last year, the Tour the Montour was virtual because of the pandemic, and we are extremely happy to be able to hold our premier fundraising event on the trail this year,” said Patricia Friedsam, tour director and a Montour Trail Council board member. “We know this is an important cycling event for riders all over the region, so we are expecting a strong turnout.”
The tour begins at Mile Zero of the Montour Trail, which is in Coraopolis, and the courses — a metric century (62 miles), 44 miles, middle distance (15-24 miles) and the family ride (12 miles or less) — are out and back. A post-race lunch at Forest Grove Sportsmen’s Rod and Gun Club, near mile marker 1.5 on the Montour Trail, is included with registration.
Tour the Montour is a ride, not a race, and rest stops with fruit, snacks and beverages will be provided on the trail. Participants whose entry forms are postmarked by Aug.t 31 are guaranteed a 2021 tour T-shirt.
Check-in and registration on the tour day begins at 7:15 a.m. The 62-mile riders depart at 8:15, 44-mile riders at 8:30 and all others at 8:45.
As part of the tour festivities, raffle tickets for various prizes will be sold, as well as tickets for several gift baskets that will be on display at the lunch spot.
Begun in 1989, the 60-plus-mile Montour Trail – part of which passes through Washington County, including Peters Township – is the longest suburban rail-trail in the country and recognized as Pennsylvania’s Trail of the Year in 2017. Proceeds from the annual Tour the Montour will be used for trail maintenance and enhancement.
The Montour Trail Council is a 501©(3) nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that builds, manages and maintains the trail. For more information, visit montourtrail.org.