History

The Story...

The Ann Arbor Festival of Cycling was the starting point for the Tour de Kids. It was a very successful adult cycing race, sanctioned by the United States Cycling Federation with over 800 athletes competing in downtown Ann Arbor in front of 10,000+ spectators. In 1991 the sponsors asked race organizers to conduct a kids bike race in conjunction with the adult races. Approximately 50 kids raced on Main Street before the pro race and one thing became immediately obvious - kids love to race bicycles! And so the Tour de Kids was born.

Ever since, the growth has been spectacular. From 1997 - 2000, we had approximately 1,000 kids, ages 3-12, racing bikes, trikes and big wheels in downtown Ann Arbor. Occurring annually on Father's Day, it has become an event that many Ann Arbor families look forward to and even plan their summer vacations around. The Tour de Kids is now the largest children's bike race in the country.

Although not every child wins, every participant receives a big medal when they cross the finish line. Each entrant also receives a race T-shirt, pizza, pop, and plenty of festival activities, all for a low entry fee.enter.

Maybe the best Tour de Kids tradition is the art contest. Kids design the artwork for the race T-shirt. We choose from dozens of entries and the winner gets a new bike and the thrill of seeing a thousand people wearing their art. If your child didn't have an opportunity to submit a Tour de Kids art entry this year, make a note for next year.

In the years past, after the kids finished racing, they were immediately exposed to some of the best adult bike racing in the country. The USCF Pro Am Criterium, contested on "one of the toughest courses in America" drew heavy hitters from the nations' best teams. The pro riders loved the "exceptional crowd support", from kids and grown-ups alike. Unfortunately, the professional race left Ann Arbor in 1998, but the Tour de Kids continued.

In 2001 the mostly volunteer race organizers found themselves a bit weary and without a major sponsor. After a fantastic 10 year run, the event was nearly cancelled. The Ann Arbor News got wind of this and ran a story. Before the ink had dried, EATON Corporation generously came forward with enough cash to cover the base operations of the event, and Care Choices came forward as well. The Tour de Kids was saved.

In 2002, organizers sought new ownership and energy to assure the Tour de Kids would continue to be an Ann Arbor tradition. Ann Arbor-based Outdoor Athlete Events, Inc. assumed ownership in 2002, and the tradition continued. Low cost, large fun, and a great sense of community continue to be the guiding principles for the Tour de Kids.

Unfortunately, the event took a hiatus from 2005-2007.

Now

But now, we're back. Under direction of co-directors Dawn Lovejoy and Rob Pulcipher, and the amazing support from our new sponsor - SpamStopsHere, the Tour de Kids is making a triumphant return to the streets of Ann Arbor this June. See you then.