Have you heard of Century Ride?
Is it the ride of the century or a century of a ride?
It could be both!
So just what is Century Ride?
Century Ride is a 100 mile cycling event that is equivalent to cyclists what the marathon is to runners. Often regarded thus as the “marathon” event of cycling, Century Ride is the ultimate test and the pinnacle of achievements for anyone serious about his or her cycling.
Century Ride represents therefore a most significant milestone in the career of any cyclist worth his/her weight in salt. Depending on who you are, where you are in your cycling career, and what your aspirations are, Century Ride could be the ride of the century for you. Or it could be, literally, a century (100 mile) of a ride.
Although common in the US and other Western countries, no one has ever organized a Century Ride in Malaysia. In 2007, thanks to the vision and foresight of our KRI (Kelab Roadrunners Ipoh) Cycling Team was the first, and continues to be the only, organizer of such an event in the history of cycling in Malaysia.
This is the third year in a row that KRI will be organising Century Ride in Perak.
What Century Ride is NOT
Century Ride is not merely a race. It is not about beating someone to the finish line, nor is it the destination that matters. This is an event in which the journey of a hundred miles itself is more important than the final destination.
Unless you are on a personal mission to complete the ride faster than someone, the only person you will be competing against is yourself. Set a personal target for yourself, and challenge yourself to the task. Or simply complete. It is entirely up to you. The cut-off time for completion is 8 hours and 30 minutes.
What makes Century Ride unique?
The most appealing feature of Century Ride is the fact that it is open to the public. Unlike other “elite” events such as Tour de Langkawi, for which cyclists have to qualify to take part, there is no qualifying trial for participants, no barrier to entry, and no discrimination to levels of skill.
Whether you are male or female, as long as you are aged 18 and above, of reasonable health, and are open to the challenge of a 100 mile ride in the company of others like yourself, WE WELCOME YOU.
Other unique features of Century Ride are:
- It is today still the only event of its kind anywhere in the country, past and present.
- It offers the opportunity to ride in the company of more than 400 cyclists of every level of skill, from beginners to the seasoned veterans, with accompanying car support, food and water stations provided throughout.
- It is road cycling over a carefully planned exciting routes that will give you a fresh perspective of Perak.
- You will discover a Perak you never knew as the route takes you through quaint villages, little known and historical towns and deep into the heart of Perak.
Objectives of Century Ride
KRI hopes to work with the Perak Government on the following objectives:
- To publicise and create awareness among all Malaysians that Perak championed the Century Ride, and eventually to promote the concept of Century Ride throughout Malaysia.
- Perhaps even to copyright the name Century Ride Malaysia to KRI, and having spearheaded the blueprint for the event in Perak, to outsource it to other states.
- To promote Perak as an exciting cycling destination in Malaysia.
- To encourage visitors to take the road less travelled and to see the beautiful Perak countryside the eco friendly way - by pedal power!
- To introduce new trails and routes each year so as to “discover” the villages and rural areas. For example, this year’s route will take cyclists through the little known towns of Karai, Sauk, Lintang, Jalong, as well as bigger towns like Kuala Kangasr and Tanjung Rambutan.
- To promote cycling as a sport and recreational activity in Perak.
Are you ready for the challenge??
By participating in Century Ride, you will be taking on a monumental challenge. There will be much hard work involved as you prepare and train for the event (KRI offers help and opportunities to prepare you), but you will find at the end of it all, that it would have been more than worth the effort put in.
The sense of achievement as you take on the final mile and cross the 100-mile finish line at last will more than make up for any hardship endured.
We do not promise that it will be easy, but we do promise that it will be an experience to cherish forever.
You’ll be glad you did it!
So… what are you waiting for??
Check out details on our website www.kricycling.com and register today!
See you at Century Ride 2009 taking place on Sunday, July 19th!
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