Olympians Set To Race in Marymoor Grand Prix July 19-20

Written by Jasmine Healy

Reigning world champion and Olympic medalist Sarah Hammer and fellow Olympians Jame Carney and Giddeon Massie are among the top riders expected to race Friday and Saturday at King County’s Marymoor Grand Prix in Redmond.

The two-day racing event at the Velodrome will feature fixed-geared bikes without brakes speeding around a 400-meter oval track. As a part of the USA Cycling National Track Calendar, participants will include riders from across North America and beyond.

The Grand Prix will feature 16 races involving anywhere from two to 40 racers, competing for a $12,000 cash purse.

The Keirin race will feature high speed motorcycles, the Madison is a tag team race in which partners literally pull one another forward while racing at top speed, and the Marymoor Crawl will show riders in “track stand” attempting to balance on their stationary bikes for a few minutes before the last lap sprint.

“The Madison race is like watching poetry on a bicycle,” said director David Mann.

Races begin at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with qualifying races at 1 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

This family event also will feature a “Kiddie Kilo” for children to enjoy riding their own bikes, as well as a beer garden, open from 6:30-10:30 p.m. both evenings. There will be areas for picnics, and food will be available from vendors as well.

Admission is $5 per person; kids under 16 are free. Visit the Grand Prix website for more information, or check out the Marymoor Velodrome Association Fan Page on Facebook.

Editor's note: Jasmine Healy is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.