Mt. Davis Challenge Returns July 26, Volunteers Needed
The Mt. Davis Challenge bike race returns to Confluence on July 26. Organizers say all is set and are seeking volunteers for race morning.
The Mt. Davis Challenge, the Confluence Tourism Association’s annual road race over the highest point in Pennsylvania, returns on Saturday, July 26, starting and finishing in Confluence.
Race Director Jim Sota and CTA President Brad Smith say preparations are on track and everything looks set for this year’s event. As always, they need one thing from the community: volunteers on the morning of the race.
The Challenge is not for the faint of legs. Riders take on either 40 or 56 miles of lollipop-style course that climbs the back roads around Mt. Davis to an elevation of 3,213 feet, descends the eastern side and grinds back up Savage Road before returning to town. Prolonged climbs, fast descents and a few rough stretches of pavement earn the race its name. The Men’s Cat 1/2/3 riders do two laps of the upper loop, in case one trip over the mountain was not enough.
Registration is open at bikereg.com.
Volunteers are the engine behind a race like this. Sota and Smith are looking for helping hands on race morning, whether that means staffing an intersection, handing out water or pointing riders in the right direction. If you can spare a few hours, email Jim Sota at jimsota@gmail.com.
For years, the person who helped organized those volunteers was Larry Walsh. He knew who to call, where to put them and how to make a long morning feel like good company. This will be the first Challenge without him, and he will be missed on the mountain. The best way to honor him is the way he would have wanted. Show up early, and lend a hand.