July 29 is going to be a very busy day in the Quad Cities.
There will be thousands of runners/walkers taking part in the annual Quad-City Times Bix 7 race in downtown Davenport. And there will also be thousands of bicyclists ending their trek across the state also in Davenport on that day.
On Saturday night, Jan. 28, officials with RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) announced this summer’s biking route through Iowa.
The cities listed as overnight towns for what is the 50th anniversary of the statewide bicycle ride include: Sioux City, Storm Lake, Carroll, Ames, Des Moines, Tama-Toledo, Coralville and Davenport. RAGBRAI takes place between July 22-29.
Visit Quad Cities President and CEO Dave Herrell, along with staff members; Davenport Mayor Mike Matson; and Kyle Carter, executive director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership, attended the official route announcement event Saturday in Des Moines at the Iowa Events Center.
“RAGBRAI is one of the most unique events in the world and we are elated to be a part of the experience,” said Mr. Herrell. “The Quad Cities is known as a community of firsts and we are proud that we helped start this tradition in 1973 and that we can celebrate, congratulate, and welcome riders to Davenport and the QC for the 50th anniversary. The tradition and culture of RAGBRAI is special and we are incredibly grateful for the confidence that the event organizers have in us to serve as host.”
This will be the sixth time for Davenport to be named as the end stop where riders will dip their tires into the Mississippi River per tradition. Most recently, it hosted here in 2011, 2015 and 2018.
Mr. Carter added that: “We’re honored to host not one, but two iconic Iowa events as RAGBRAI and the Quad-City Times Bix 7 converge for a party that will also be one for the history books. The Quad Cities are eager to welcome people from all corners of the world to celebrate this historic milestone.”
Davenport’s mayor added that July 29 will be an “historic event” for the community. “Davenport is honored to be selected as part of the RAGBRAI 50th anniversary route,” said Mr. Matson. “We look forward to working with RAGBRAI, Visit Quad Cities and many others on this wonderful, historic event.”
This year’s ride has a total mileage of 500 miles and a total climb of 16,549 feet. It is the sixth longest RAGBRAI in history and the sixth highest feet of climb. Deadline to register for RAGBRAI ends on May 15. Register online at www.ragbrai.com.
Since its inception, RAGBRAI has hosted more than 420,000 riders from across the world and visited all 99 counties in Iowa.
In addition to RAGBRAI, July 29 will also host the Quad City Times Bix 7 race. That race, in its 49th year, is expected to bring in at least 10,000 runners and walkers. Registration has begun for this summer’s race.
“This will be an amazing summer for big events and a great week for the region with the 49th Quad-City Times Bix 7 and the 50th RAGBRAI culminating on July 29,” Mr. Herrell added. “This is a community-wide team effort, and we will deliver.”
