Bikers ride through the park

Cyclo-cross bicycle race takes place at Aquila

Mimi Fhima

From late-August to early October, Minnesota metro bikers participated in the Wednesday night cyclo-cross races through Aquila Park, according to event promoter Mike Delaney.

Athletes nationwide participate in this sport, which features both biking and running through woods and on roads. According to Delaney, these aspects make cyclo-cross races a mixture of mountain biking and road racing.

Although the regularly scheduled Wednesday night cyclo-cross races ended Oct. 7, one final race will be a nighttime cyclo-cross race and will take place Nov. 7 at Aquila Park. The course opens for inspection at 2:45 pm.

“They will bring in big lights and light the place up until around 9:30(p.m.),” Delaney said.

Students have the opportunity to participate in a 30-minute race, Delaney said.

“We have a juniors group which is (ages) 9-18 split up into four different age groups. The courses are split by gender as well,” Delaney said.

The junior cyclo-cross races allow young adults from various places to participate in an enjoyable community event, Delaney said.

“Last week, we had 30 juniors in our race,” Delaney said. “A lot of those kids are not from the same neighborhood, but they make friendships with other people from the metro area.”

Sophomore Kinsey Scott said she believes the cyclo-cross would be a fun and beneficial activity.

“It is exercise for the community, and it shows that we care about biking,” Scott said. “I know a lot of people that would love to attend it.”