It’s all about the gap: Cycling ride, car show in Parowan

Main Street, Parowan, Utah, undated | Photo courtesy of Spin Geeks

PAROWAN –The weekend events will take people to Parowan City with the third annual Ride the Gap cycling event and the 24th annual Fun Run Car Show. Both events will take place Saturday, starting at 8 a.m.

Ride the Gap

The third annual Ride the Gap cycling event features three different distances for riders to choose from – a 30 mile, 55 mile or 100 mile ride, more commonly known as a century ride.

Cyclists participating in Ride the Gap, undated | Photo courtesy of Spin Geeks
Cyclists participating in Ride the Gap, undated | Photo courtesy of Spin Geeks

The event first began when Spin Geeks was approached by Parowan officials to host a cycling ride in their city.

“We actually do nine biking events a year,” Margaret Gibson, event director with Spin Geeks, said, “two of them are races and the rest of them are just rides, which is what Ride the Gap is.”

The course has received positive feedback, being the flattest century ride in the Spin Geeks series and great for first time riders, according to the event website.

“A lot of people come back and say to me that they like it because it’s a fast century,” Gibson said. “They like it because obviously there’s some good scenery; you get to go through the petroglyphs at the gap.”

The ride provides a unique feel due to the small town and the volunteer involvement of the community, Gibson said. It gives riders the opportunity to get out of the big city.

In it’s first year the ride had 110 participants. The event has seen great growth each year with approximately 300 riders signed up for this year’s event.

Riders can still register for any of the three distances Friday evening from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., or Saturday morning from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Lions Park. The ride will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Registration includes event t-shirt, fully stocked rest stops along the route and lunch.

24th annual Fun Run Car Show

The Fun Run Car Show is free for the public to attend and features cars of all makes, models and years.

Although frequently runners associate the term “fun run” with a local race, the event takes on the name for a different reason.

“Why it’s been called the fun run is because the co-sponsor is from Las Vegas, Nevada, the Desert Cruisers,” Jet Smith, events coordinator for Parowan City, said, “and they all cruise up together, they take a total run from Nevada to Utah.”

The Parowan Chamber of Commerce puts on the event, Smith said. It’s a way to get people to see what Parowan has to offer and visit local businesses.

The show typically sees 75 to 100 car entries, Smith said.

To enter a vehicle into the show, a $10 registration fee is required and can be paid the morning of the event at the Library.

Trophies will be awarded for multiple categories along with several drawings for prizes.

“There are tons of prizes that are given away,” Smith said.

Event details

Ride the Gap

  • When: Saturday, June 7, 8 a.m.
  • Where:  Lions Park, 100 South 300 East, Parowan, UT
  • Registration:
    • 30 mile – $45
    • 55 mile – $65
    • 100 mile – $70
  • Event info: Spin Geeks | Telephone: 435-229-6251

Fun Run Car Show

  • When: Saturday, June 7, 8 a.m.
  • Where:  Library Park, Center Street and Main Street, Parowan, UT
  • Registration: Free for the public, $10 to enter a vehicle | Telephone: 435-477-9022

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

 

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