Speed Freaks Alleycat Poster

So I'm sitting here over a month after this race thinking 'Is this even worth it?' but you know I have to have something to show my kids when I get old so if peole are even still using the internet then I'll point them to this post and say... 'Here... I did that, or at least I put that race on!'

The background:

I have had the chance to participate in a few alleycats here and found myself eagerly looking forward to the next one as summer began. I feverishly read stoires of races in other towns, laughed at ridiculous themes, gasped at amazing feats of cycling strength and skill... but where was my chance to test my hard-earned street knowledge?

By about halfway through summer I was resigned to the fact that nothing was going to happen, so with a little encouragement from various friends I decided to make something happen myself.

The result is pictured right ->

The course took riders from East Van (Strathcona Park) to Kitsilano, via 4 different checkpoints with tasks ranging from swinging on some park swings (while being waterbombed by small children) to obstacle courses to eating dry weetbix (like a breakfast cereal in a large block of dryness).

27 starters, only two accidents and both finished (phew!!!) and two people got lost (as they missed the 1st checkpoint and having no idea where else to go they bought beer and slowly made their way to the finish).

The Results

MEN

1st - Trevor Dunnett ($120 + drink tickets)
2nd - Sascha Ramin (IRO frame - which Trevor actually won but swapped with Sascha)
3rd - Derrick (spl?) - $50

WOMEN

1st - Laura (Chrome bag + drink tickets)
tie 2nd/3rd - the fixie chicks -Jackie and Aiyana ($30 each)

1st out-of-town - Lachlan (i think) from Portand (Crumpler bag)
1st non-fixed - MidnightSimon (FixedGear zine)
1st non-courier - Nate (after MidnightSimon passed his prize on to him) - PEDAL tshirt
Best Helmet - Jerome (Surly Hip flask)
DFL - Dude with the rad red track bike from Portland (Chuck?) and Nick (their entry fee back and a red bike horn and reflective ankle strap)

I had a blast once I was able to come down from my minor stress coma that I'd been in all day... and everyone I spoke to had nothing but positive words for me. It really sounded like people had fun...

I will say that planning and running an event by yourself is some kind of haaaaaarrrrrd work. But based on some of the feedback I got and approaches people have made, look for a few more events coming to VanCity in the future.

Photos from the day can be found here: