Big Dam Bridge 100

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When you have 12 miles of a long bike ride left you wanna see these faces cheering, dancing and passing out water, oranges and bananas in the Arvest tents at the Big Dam Bridge 100. Like many of the riders, they’re repeat customers; they recognize faces. They look forward to seeing you again this year – lady with the turkey feather in your hat – and the Big Dam Bridge 100 is one of their favorite events of the year.

  For the past four years, Arvest’s Little Rock market has been a presenting sponsor for the Big Dam Bridge 100. For each of those years, volunteers have manned the aid station and finishers’ tents with unmatched enthusiasm. Riders pass the aid station twice, at 11 miles from the start and/or 12 miles from the finish. At the finishers’ tent they celebrate by placing the finishers’ medals on the necks of the cyclists. It takes a couple of months to get everything ready says Brooke Hamilton, a marketing specialist who’s been working the event for the past four years. “The event feels like Christmas to me, with all the preparation and excitement leading up to the big day. The night before, it’s hard to sleep because we’re so eager to get out there,” Brooke says.

  The Big Dam Bridge 100 is both a physical challenge and a scenic ride that draws about 3,500 participants annually from around the country and the world. Those riders are the reason Robert Downing, a sales coordinator at Arvest, has been volunteering for the past three years. “One of my favorite things is how many people get to come and see how beautiful our state is. Last year I met a group of doctors from India who had flown out the night before just to do the 75-mile ride and it was just so awesome. There was also a family from Argentina that came to cheer on a family member who was doing the 100-mile ride last year,” he says. “Just seeing everyone come together and the looks on the people’s faces when they cross the finish line – no matter what level they’re doing. They’re all winners and I love getting to share in that joy, so I work Finishers Village every year.”

  While it has “100” in its name, not all participants will be riding 100 miles. The ride offers routes ranging between 15 and 105 miles with the final stretch being on the longest bridge built for pedestrian and bicycle traffic in North America. A portion of the proceeds are used by The Big Dam Bridge Foundation along with government partners and private stakeholders to leverage donations to make improvements to the Big Dam Bridge and along the Arkansas River Trail.

  Registration for the 2024 Big Dam Bridge 100 remains open through Sept. 27; the ride will begin at 7 a.m. on September 28. More details and a registration link can be found at thebigdambridge100.com.

BIG DAM BRIDGE 100

Saturday, September 28

The Big Dam Bridge

thebigdambridge100.com

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