Bikers to stay in Hillsboro, stop in Marion
Staff writer
The 600 participants in a Biking Across Kansas 512-mile ride across the state will spend a night in Hillsboro.
Riders will start June 10 at the Kansas-Colorado line west of Syracuse, with overnight stops at Syracuse, Garden City, Spearville, St. John, Hutchinson, Hillsboro, Olpe, Ottawa, and Louisburg. They also will stop at other towns along the route.
They will arrive June 15 in Hillsboro. Bikers ride at their own pace, so they are expected to arrive from mid-morning to late afternoon.
Hillsboro Golf Association will sponsor a beer garden at Schaeffler House, and Hillsboro Community Foundation will serve dinner at 5 p.m.
Tours of Hillsboro Museums will be available, and Hillsboro Community Hospital will provide wellness checks, if desired.
Bikers will stay at Country Haven Inn, set up tents in the park, or stay at the high school gymnasium. The United Methodist Church women will offer a fundraiser breakfast the next morning.
Bikers will proceed east on 190th Rd. and arrive in Marion anywhere between 7 and 10 a.m. June 16.
Stephanie Weaver, director of Biking Across Kansas, said bikers were encouraged to stop in towns along the way and enjoy the communities. Their route guides contain histories and points of interest at each of the towns they pass through.
“It’s a tour, not a race,” Weaver said. “We want to introduce them to towns and places in Kansas.”
The bikers will gather in Central Park, where volunteers will offer food and water. Weaver is encouraging townspeople to go to the park that morning and interact with the bikers.
“Bring your kids,” Weaver said. “Talk to the bikers. It may inspire someone to join Biking Across Kansas in the future.”
Participants will come from almost 30 states and two foreign countries. Forty percent will be new to the event, Weaver said. They will range in age from 13 to 86 years. “It’s really a cultural exchange among riders and between riders and communities,” she said.