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NATIONAL PED & BIKE ADVOCATES TO MEET IN MADISON SEPT. 5-8
PRO WALK/PRO BIKE CONFERENCE TO INCLUDE WISCONSIN SUMMIT
The 14th International Conference on Walking & Bicycling, also known as Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2006, will be held in Madison, Wisconsin, September 5-8, at the Monona Terrace Convention Center.
The National Center for Bicycling & Walking's Pro Walk/Pro Bike biennial conference series typically attracts an international gathering of more than 600 bicycle and pedestrian program specialists, advocates
and government leaders committed to improving conditions for bicycling and walking.
Conference participants include federal, state and local agency staff, engineers, planners, transportation
officials, educators, public-health specialists, park and recreation managers and advocates who range from
executives of international organizations to lay people with an interest in improving the quality of life in their communities.
The theme for the 2006 conference is "Making Connections." It is based on the recognition that success in bicycle and pedestrian work means getting people from diverse backgrounds to work together on a range
of issues: completing street and expanding trail networks, changing land-use regulations to foster shorter trips and better connected communities, promoting walking and biking in health, safety and social-justice
arenas, and getting bicycle and pedestrian issues included in increasingly complex community plans.
This year's Wisconsin State Pedestrian and Bicycle Summit will be held in conjunction with Pro Walk/Pro
Bike. The 2006 Wisconsin summit is the state's seventh biennial conference. Wisconsin sessions will be featured throughout the conference program. The Governor's Bicycle Council, Wisconsin Walks, the
Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin and the city of Madison sponsor the state summit.
One-day registration options will be available for those people who cannot attend the entire conference. Registration for the Wisconsin summit done through the Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference website just as if
you were registering for the international conference. In order to defray the costs of registration for Wisconsin delegates, there will be some limited scholarships available.
Visit www.bikewalk.org or call Mark Plotz at 301/656-4220 for more information on the international
conference and to register. For local information or answers to specific questions about the Wisconsin conference, contact Dave Phillips at dave.phillips@dot.state.wi.us or 608/266-8377; or Tom Huber at thomas.huber@dot.state.wi.us or 608/267-7757.
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ST. PAUL INLINE MARATHON ADDS 10 MILE TOUR AND SKATE FEST
If you missed the early-bird registration deadline for the St, Paul Inline Marathon (SPIM), don't worry. You
can still get in on all the action August 19-20.
Organizers have added "Skate Fest" to the event weekend this year. "Along with the marathon and 10 Mile
Tour on Sunday, we now have two great days of skating and fun," SPIM co-founder Marilyn Franzen said.
Skate Fest on August 19 will include:
• The Saint Paul Inline Marathon exposition from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pick up race packets here, chat with friends, shop and check out the many vendor and sponsor booths at the Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront.
There will be complimentary parking in the ramps (expo and race day) and complimentary transportation to and from both the Radisson Roseville and the Wildwood Lodge.
• Carbo-loading at LoTo Cafe, 5:30-8:30 p.m. At the finish area in Mears Park, endurance athlete and chef David Fhima will be offering roasted tomato penne pasta, rosemary chicken, organic green salads, french
bread made on site as well as the LoTo-created energy bar, all for just $15. And while there, you can enjoy the official beer of the St. Paul Inline Marathon: Summit Pale Ale or the new Summit Scandia.
• "Miss and Out" elimination race around Mears Park, 7:30-8:30 p.m. Twenty pro women and 20 pro men (masters and veterans are welcome to apply) will be allowed to enter the competition. The elimination race
will be a 20-lap race around the park. At the end of each lap, the last person to cross the start/finish line will
be eliminated until there are only two skaters left. The final two skaters will take a cool down lap and then
skate one final lap for the win. With uphills and downhills and a 90-degree corner at every turn, this event is guaranteed to provide some exciting racing.
If you want to be a part of this race, e-mail your name and a short paragraph about yourself to race director Adam Kocinski at adam@usinternet.com or call 651/238-2651. The organizers will review all
applications and you will be notified by e-mail or by phone if you are accepted. There will be a yet-to-be-determined purse (cash and or prizes) for this race.
The entry fee for the full St. Paul Inline Marathon rose from $75 to $85 on June 27. Another price increase will take effect August 2-15.
New this year, for those not ready to skate 26.2 miles, is the 10 Mile Tour. The registration for the shorter tour is $50 until August 1 when the price will be hiked to $55 through August 15. To register, go to www.roller-dome.com/spim/index.htm.
The St. Paul Inline Marathon has a block of hotel rooms reserved at the Radisson Hotel in Roseville and the
Wildwood Lodge in St. Paul. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
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NEENAH TO AGAIN LAUNCH FOX CITIES MARATHON SEPT. 23
The city of Neenah, Wisconsin, will once again serve as the starting point for the 2006 Community First Fox
Cities Marathon Festival of Races. The September 23 events will return to a start at Riverside Park.
"We felt it was very important to find a way to incorporate Neenah into the course," said Race Operations
Manager Jesse Drake, "to be consistent with our goal of being a true community-wide event."
While Sunday's start line had been located in Riverside Park for many years, the start moved in 2005 to the
town of Menasha to incorporate the newly opened Trestle Trail bridge into the course.
"We were very pleased with how logistically smooth and efficient the start line area and bridge were last
year," Drake said, "but we felt we needed to include the city of Neenah, which has been very supportive of the Community First Fox Cities Marathon since its inception. Without having Neenah on the course, it just
felt incomplete."
The Community First Fox Cities Marathon Sunday events will wind through seven Fox Cities communities before finishing at the UW-Fox Valley Campus in Menasha.
The Community First Fox Cities Marathon is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Saturday, September 23 events include the Time Warner Cable 5K Run/Walk and the Guardian Kids Fun Run. Sunday, September
24, events will feature the Community First Fox Cities Marathon, U.S. Cellular Half Marathon, Appleton Papers 13.1 mile PowerWalk and Michelob Ultra Relay Marathon.
New website
To make a more user-friendly experience for participants and visitors, the Community First Fox Cities Marathon Festival of Races has updated its website with new features such as message boards, an online
volunteer registration form and all the latest information on this year's weekend of events.
As in the past, participants will be able to register online, print out applications and maps and purchase
official merchandise. The website is www.foxcitiesmarathon.org.
Runners to get goodies
All participants in this year's Community First Fox Cities Marathon Festival of Races will receive additional
items upon registration. Participants entered in the full marathon will receive a duffle bag along with a long sleeve dri-release finishers' shirt. Half marathon and power walk participants will receive an
over-the-shoulder string bag as well as a long sleeved shirt. Relay marathon participants will receive a lightweight runner's hat along with their t-shirt.
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SHAWANO RECEIVES STEWARDSHIP FUNDS FOR TRAIL REST STOP
Shawano, Wisconsin, officials recently received $153,250 in state stewardship fund grants for expansion
and development of Kuckuk Park and the Shawano Eberlein Park/Mountain Bay State Trail Rest Stop.
DNR Secretary Scott Hassett passed along two big checks in early May. The first, for $77,250, provides
stewardship funds to help the city of Shawano transform an old cement plant and unused river area into an extension of the Kuckuk parkway.
The second check, for $76,000, is to fund the Shawano Eberlein Park/Mountain Bay Trail Rest Stop. The city is converting an area east of town into a trailhead for trail users. The project will include parking,
restrooms and trail access.
Hassett cited this recreational area as a great example of a combination of partnerships, working together
and building outdoor recreation facilities to support users from throughout the region.
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SECOND ANNUAL ILLINOIS GREAT RIVERS RIDE SEPT. 10-16
There's still time to register to take part in the second annual Illinois Great Rivers Ride, September 10-16.
The Illinois Great Rivers Ride is a noncompetitive bike ride that will begin in Rockford and travel 400 miles
along the Rock, Mississippi and Illinois rivers, making stops each day for various activities, performances, tours and more before concluding in southwestern Illinois in the city of Alton.
The ride is sponsored by Illinois Gov. R. Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns Economic Development program, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Illinois Bureau of Tourism. In 2005 the inaugural
Illinois Great Rivers Ride hosted more than 200 cyclists from 23 states.
The Illinois Great Rivers Ride is meant to showcase the unique destinations along Illinois rivers by creating a
new experience for travelers to explore the state. The ride will serve as an exciting travel experience and will also drive tourism and economic development to the areas along the three rivers.
The route
• Pre-ride Celebration, Sept. 9: The festivities will start with sightseeing, entertainment and dinner in Rockford. Cyclists will visit the Anderson Japanese Garden and Rockford's historic district, Haight Village,
where they can participate in a vintage baseball game or tour the Midwest Village and Museum. Participants will also enjoy a pasta dinner followed by an ice-cream social.
• Sept. 10: The ride will leave Rockford and follow the Rock River to an overnight stay in Sterling/Rock Falls. Evening activities will include a Mexican fest featuring a mariachi band and night Frisbee. (59 miles)
• Sept. 11: Riders will continue along the Rock and Mississippi rivers to Rock Island for tours of the Quad City Botanical Center and the Rock Island Arsenal. A water taxi ride on the Mississippi River will be
followed by dinner at the John Deere Pavilion. (61 miles)
• Sept. 12: The route will continue along the Mississippi River to Big River Forest Preserve in Henderson
County. Evening activities will include American Indian re-enactments under the stars, a fish fry and a horseshoe toss contest. (60 miles)
• Sept. 13: Riders will continue south along the Mississippi River to Nauvoo where they will camp at Nauvoo State Park. Afternoon activities will include golf followed by a country western-themed dinner with
live music and square dancing. Additional evening events will include historic tours by horse-drawn wagon and a tour of Baxter's Vineyards, Illinois' oldest winery. (57 miles)
• Sept. 14: The ride will head farther south along the Mississippi River to historic Quincy for a German fest complete with authentic German food and entertainment. (47 miles)
• Sept. 15: The route will take riders to Nebo where they can enjoy an Abraham Lincoln impersonator, horseback riding, trap shooting and visits to the Pea Ridge Elk Ranch. The day will culminate with a
celebration at Harpole's Heartland Lodge, a steak dinner, hayrides and a bonfire. (55 miles)
• Sept. 16: The route will proceed to Hardin where cyclists will board a ferry and enjoy entertainment
during an 18-mile ride down the Mississippi River to Brussels. The ride will continue to Alton where it will conclude with a celebration at the National Great Rivers Museum at Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton.
Evening activities will include dinner, dancing and fireworks and a visit to the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site in Hartford for era re-enactments. (64 miles)
Each night riders have the option to sleep beneath the stars in tents at state parks and campgrounds or in designated hotels or motels. An overview of the Illinois Great Rivers Ride route and activities can be found
at www.illinoisgreatriversride.com. Online registration is available through August 14.
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