Pelotonia’s Inaugural Gravel Day This Weekend

Many are aware of the Pelotonia Bike Ride that this year saw 6,500 rider cross central Ohio to raise money for the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Now the race is taking on a new form. Pelotonia will host its Inaugural Gravel Day Race on Saturday. Gravel Day will take place in Nelsonville and offers a more adventurous style of cycling. Gravel Day takes riders on looped routes from a start finish line at the Snow Fork Event Center.

“The original Pelotonia routes went down to Athens for the first three years. We sort of road all through the Hocking Hills. It’s always been an area our communities love and there’s great great roads and scenery down there and this time of year as the leaves are changing colors it’s going to be absolutely gorgeous,” Joe Apgar president of Pelotonia.

This weekend riders will choose to ride 20, 30 or 50 miles. Apgar said the route will be challenging due to the many hills. Apgar is a 15-year cancer survivor. He said the race is a vehicle for hope.

“I think what Pelotonia has done for people is to get on a bike and do something is to feel like they are in control and take some action against cancer and to do that in a positive environment that’s inspirational and forward looking and happy. People come to our event after their diagnosis and they leave the event inspired, hopeful and ready to take on life in a different way,” said Apgar.

One hundred percent of every dollar raised by participants supports cancer research. Saturday, riders will depart from the start line at 9:30am and finish between 11:30am and 6pm depending on the route distance. To volunteer or to ride you can visit the Pelotonia website. To date the Pelotonia community has raised more than $275m.