One of the most rewarding moments of the Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic is crossing the finish line. You’ve made it, all 200+ miles on your own two wheels, and there’s a huge crowd waiting to cheer you on for your accomplishment!
The Finish Line Festival in Holladay Park is also an attraction in its own right, featuring music, food and beverage service, exhibitor and sponsor booths, a massage tent, showers and first aid. We’ll also have a New Belgium Beer Garden and ton of giveaways. Even if you’re not riding the STP, if you’re in Portland for the weekend it’s worth checking out.
This year, we’ll have sampling from:
- Nuun, our official hydration sponsor;
- Dave’s Killer Bread, the official bread of the 2011 event;
- Darigold, who will handing out chocolate Refuel to aid your post-ride recovery;
- Super Supplements, who will have samples and a drawing for two $50 gift cards;
- And Outdoors NW, with free magazines featuring other great recreational opportunities around the northwest.
The festival will also include an array of food vendors, top quality custom cycling apparel from JL Velo, commemorative STP apparel and items and much more!
If you’re there to cheer on the riders, make sure to stop by the Windermere sign-making tent.
You also won’t want to miss the Pemco booth, where you can make a free emergency photo ID card, and the Refuel With Chocolate Milk Team booth, where you can make your very own Got Milk ad.
And for all you Seattle Sounders fans who are excited to be at the festival, but secretly a little disappointed about missing them play the Portland Timbers on Sunday, July 10, never fear!
Our title sponsor Group Health, who also sponsors Sounders youth soccer camps, will be teaming up with Cascade and the Sounders to bring the game to the festival.
We’ll have a silent viewing screen in the New Belgium Beer Garden, as well as a family friendly area in the lawn with sound and two large screens showing the game from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Whether you’re riding the STP, or just there to cheer them on, the festival is going to be a blast!
I have 2 rooms available at the Marriott City Center July 10-11 – for after the STP! As some of our riders are now driving home. Rooms were non-refundable…$99 each, including taxes… email misty63@gmail.com. Good luck everyone!
For one-day riders, stopping at Centralia College for midpoint, where on campus will riders be? Will it be easy to park there? If so, which lot?
I wish to comment on your STP club ride. I live in this area and I am getting very scared that you people feel the rules of the road do not apply to you.
This morning I had several bikes com accross the yellow line at me going the opposite direction. Youi do not follow the single file rule and someone is going to be killed eventually. PLEASE Follow the law. You come through here once a year and make it very dangerous and I would hate to see this be outlawed do to you breaking the law.
@Mary D
Thanks for your comment, and we agree. Every rider was sent multiple messages about safety and expectations for riding lawfully: http://blog.cascade.org/2011/06/stp-safe-riding/
I was disappointed that many of the sponsors were not at the park for the one day riders. My husband completed the ride in 2 days the previous 2 years and in comparison the activities in the park are much better.