Michigan Hand Cycling Series ends season with Grand Rapids Marathon

1st Michigan Hand Cycling Race Series Season ends at the Grand Rapids Marathon

By Liz Horvat

Yesterday, the first year of the Michigan Hand Cycling Race Series ended with the culmination of the Grand Rapids Marathon. For a complete breakdown of the results from the Grand Rapids Marathon, click here. This event, held in its 10^th year, has been loved by runners and hand cyclists alike, and was seen as a very fitting end to a great season of racing.

“The Michigan Hand Cycling Race Series is a great opportunity to increase awareness for the sport”, says John Waterman, one of the founders of the Series. Waterman hopes that by picking select races throughout the state, the competition for the sport will increase as well as the spectators and excitement. This year, the races that were included in the series include the 5/3 Marathon, Great Lakes Bay Marathon, Cherry-Roubaix, Festival Sun Crit, Crim, and finally the Grand Rapids Marathon. “We are hoping to provide racers from across the state with an incentive to participate in this great sport,” says Waterman.

Sponsors of the series included Programs to Educate AllCyclists (PEAC) and Fusion Medical Equipment.  The support of these sponsors allowed the top participants to receive over $1,000 in prize money. In order to be eligible to win the overall series, racers must have participated in at least two races throughout the season. Points were based on the best four races of the season.

This year the series included four racers: Daniel Dewitt, Bryan Wilkinson, Brad Baumann, and Glen Ashlock; many of whom have been participating in the sport for years. The competition was fierce throughout the entire year, as can been seen in the final results, which only have first and second place separated by 10 points. We are happy to announce that Daniel Dewitt is the winner of the Michigan Hand Cycling Race Series!

Click here for more information about the Michigan Hand Cycling Race Series rules and regulations. 

If you are interested in participating in this event next year or becoming a sponsor of the series, please contact Liz Horvat (liz@bikeprogram.org) or John Waterman (jwaterman@bikeprogram.org)