This weekend, West Reading and the City of Reading will once again host the Reading Radsport Festival, giving spectators a glimpse of fast paced professional cycling. The exciting two day event benefits Reading Recreation Commission’s mission to feed at risk youth.
The festival opens Saturday, August 3rd, with the West Reading Criterium race. Day two, August 4th, features the Mt. Penn Hill Climb to the Pagoda and Radsport Dirt Course with mountain bike and cyclocross races in Reading’s City Park.
Saturday’s races are held on Penn Avenue in West Reading beginning at 2:50pm with the Amateur Men Category 3/4 Criterium. A kids Race on the professional course is scheduled for 3:50pm, plus a special Wheelie and Combos competition will be held at 4pm.
At 5pm the Professional Women’s Criterium begins directly in front of all the Penn Ave taverns and eateries, followed by the Professional Men’s Criterium at 6:30pm. This year’s professional course features technical turns and straightaways will test the strength, power, and speed of the riders. Each Professional category races for a $10,000 prize purse.
Race day on Sunday begins at 11am with the Citizen’s Mt. Penn Hill Climb. Released in waves from City Park, the Citizen’s Mt. Penn Hill Climb challenges riders with a 2.2-mile climb to the finish line at the Fire Tower.
In addition to the Citizen’s Hill Climb, at 11:30am, runners will also be able to challenge themselves on Skyline Drive with the Uphill Dash to the Pagoda. The 1.67 mile course begins at Reading’s City Park.
Sunday afternoon features the Radsport City Park Dirt Course for mountain bikers and cyclocross racers. The dirt course opens at 12:20pm with the Open Citizen’s Dirt Course Race. Following the open race at 1pm, Women and U19 Girls Open Cyclocross, and Men and U19 Boys Open Cyclocross at 1:40pm.
Later in the day, the Women and U19 Girls Open Short Track MTB race is held at 2:35pm, along with the Men and U19 Boys Open Short Track MTB at 3:15pm. For more information on the race visit readingradsport.com
