Last week, I mentioned the new Alaska Birkie bike race. I wrote that even though I thought it sounded like a fun race, I wouldn’t be able to do it this year. I also thought they should change the name of the race.
Well, I just saw an announcement that this year’s race is cancelled because of low registration numbers. So much for my attempt to promote it! But get this – they will be changing the name of the race for next year:
We will instead focus on a 2010 race. Our website will be the source of official information for the next year. There will be changes for the 2010 event starting with the name of the race. The race will not be called Birkebeiner. Stay tuned…
I hope they come up with a better name than the suggestions I offered!
So maybe I’ll get to do the inaugural race after all. But then again, maybe not. Summer in Alaska is really short, and as I’ve said before, we’ve already got a ton of fun summer races. Not to mention the other non-racing activities to choose from (hiking, packrafting, road trips, etc). It’s hard for a new race to get a foothold. The Powerline Pass running race – a favorite of mine and many mountain runners – has bounced around for seven years , trying to find a date to call home. That’s why I think this bike race should try September, or even early October. Or maybe the first weekend of June, as soon as the trails open to mountain bikes.
But then again, what do I know? I tend to gravitate towards events that don’t have a ton of participation. So maybe I’m not the best guy to offer promotional advice.
