Dust Bowl 100 bicycle race set Saturday

Courtesy photo

The Dust Bowl 100 gravel bicycle race, presented by Lithko Contracting, is coming to Putnam County roads on Saturday, July 24.

While the race starts and ends at Eminence High School, 95 percent of the route is on Putnam County roads. Three race distances — 100 miles, 80 miles and 44 miles — are offered to cater to a wide range of cyclists of all abilities.

This year’s race is sold out at 400 participants, and will be attracting riders from 16 different states. Those riders will get to experience what organizers consider to be some of the best gravel roads that West Central Indiana has to offer and will also pass a number of Putnam County attractions on the route, including:

• Vandalia Trail,

• Pine Bluff and Rolling Stone covered bridges,

• McCoy Road and Hibbs Ford metal bridges,

• Big Walnut Sports Park,

• Putnam Park Road Course and

• Historic Union Valley Baptist Church and Bethel Baptist Church.

The routes will travel directly through Fillmore, Groveland and Mount Meridian, while also passing closely by Coatesville, Bainbridge, Greencastle and Belle Union. Residents are encouraged to use extra caution when driving on Saturday, especially when encountering cyclists on the road.

Partial proceeds from the Dust Bowl 100 will go toward supporting and expanding youth cycling opportunities in Indiana, including sponsoring scholarships for the Indiana Interscholastic Cycling League and providing bikes to students in the Eminence School Corporation.

More information on the Dust Bowl 100, including race routes, can be found at www.dustbowl100.com.