Palisade Classic Mountain Bike Race, Marathon This Weekend

Saturday, May 9, the Palisade Chamber of Commerce, Town of Palisade, and Mammoth Marathons host the Third Annual Palisade Bike Festival. The Festival includes the Palisade Classic Mountain Bike Race, Fruit Loop Cycling Tour, and new this year, the Grand Valley Marathon. All three events start at Palisade's Town Center Plaza.

The day begins with the Grand Valley Marathon at 6:30 a.m. The Half-Marathon starts at 7:00 a.m., followed by the 10-K race at 7:30 and 5-K race at 7:45 a.m. All four races follow scenic routes along the Colorado River with the Marathon and Half-Marathon extending onto East Orchard Mesa.

The Palisade Classic Mountain Bike Race starts at 7:30 a.m. with a 34-mile expert race across the flanks of Grand Mesa, connecting with the Horse Mountain Course before returning to town. At 10:00 a.m., the sport and beginner races start with the course following the Horse Mountain, Mountain Bike Trail.

The Fruit Loop Cycling Tour begins anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. Participants can follow three different routes based on ability and desire. Enthusiasts will ride through a setting of orchards and vineyards with Mt. Garfield, Grand Mesa and the Book Cliffs as their backdrop. The Tour includes a Scavenger Hunt with stops at area shops, orchards, and wineries.

At the conclusion of the Races and Tour, a lunch and awards ceremony will be held at the Palisade Brewery. The ceremony includes lunch, awards and prizes, vendors and live entertainment by the band, Straygrass.

Registration for all three events starts Friday evening, May 8th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Peach Street Distillers. Saturday morning, registration starts at the Town Center Plaza in downtown Palisade at 6:00 a.m. for the Grand Valley Marathon, 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for the Palisade Classic, and 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for the Fruit Loop Cycling Tour. For more information, contact the Palisade Chamber of Commerce at 464-7458 or visit their website at www.palisadecoc.com.