All new for 2024 is the Riverside Criterium. Another neighborhood race that’s sure to be a favorite. Don’t let the limited elevation change fool you. The lap kicks off with a false flat into a TINY kicker that will serve as a launch pad for those with legs left. This one is going to be hard though with six corners spread across .65 miles or just over 1km, but with four of those corners coming in the final 450 meters. The T6 to the line 200m sprint straightaway is going to feel painfully long by Sunday.

Segment link

Junior Boys- 15 minutes of racing starting at 9:00 am

Junior Girls- 15 minutes of racing starting at 9:20 am

Men’s Cat 4/5- 30 minutes of racing starting at 9:40 am

Women’s Cat 4/5- 30 minutes of racing starting at 10:15 am

Men’s Master’s 40+ Cat 4/5- 30 minutes of racing starting at 10:50 am

Women’s Cat 3/4- 30 minutes of racing starting at 11:25

New Men’s Cat 3/4- 50 minutes of racing starting at 12:00 pm

Men’s Master’s 50+ 1/2/3/4- 45 minutes of racing starting at 1:15 pm

New Men’s Cat 2/3- 50 minutes of racing starting at 2:05 pm

Men’s Master’s 35+ 1/2/3- 50 minutes of racing starting at 3:00 pm

Women’s P/1/2/3- 50 minutes of racing starting at 3:55 pm

Men’s P/1/2- 70 minutes of racing starting at 4:50 pm

This could be the one time a year that you run, or the A-race you’ve been training all those many miles and early mornings for. This could be a stumble around the neighborhood on an annual bet between you and your neighbor or a chance to take the Strava segment crown and eternal glory (until someone takes it back). The streets are closed and our team is eating so have at it. One lap is just under 3/4 of a mile. Two laps is 1.5ish. Racers will begin warming up by 5:50 so please plan accordingly.

Hands down the cutest race of the day. The rules are anything on wheels but without motors. Racers will start at the bottom of the hill at 16th (or really anywhere you want them to) and then battle gravity and their competition for glory (and hopefully some ice cream if mom says it’s ok after).

The crowd cheers their lungs out just as hard for the littles as they do for the big kids/adults so bring your own kids, your niece, nephew, grandkids, your neighbor. Any kiddo on wheels is eligible for this fun intermission race that gives our officials and volunteers a chance to grab a bite and catch their breath. Ridiculously cute podium shots afterwards are optional.

The Northwest neighborhood of Everett welcomes us back with open arms for a four-corner classic on the bluffs overlooking the Everett waterfront, Possession Sound, and the Olympics beyond. The 2024 edition will serve as the WSBA Senior’s and Master’s Criterium Championships with jerseys and bragging rights on the line in nearly all races.

This neighborhood crit features four 90-degree corners, each a bit spicier than the last with racers looking to carry every last bit of speed into the finishing stretch and the short kicker protecting the line. Typically winds off the water pick up throughout the day with riders either looking to recover after the finish line and onto the slightly descending back stretch or others who push on looking to snap the elastic. Many categories in 2023 were won from the break, but with a new weighted points structure not to mention the WSBA stripes on the line I’m betting we’re going to see some L3gion impressions on this one.

Also new for 2024 is an amazing non-profit partner in The Cocoon House. This organization is doing incredible work in Snohomish County for some of the most vulnerable in our community. Please take a moment to visit their booth, hear more about their mission and perhaps see how you can help.

Segment and POV footage links

Junior Boys- 15 minutes of racing starting at 11:35

Junior Girls- 15 minutes of racing starting at 11:55

Men’s Cat 4/5 and the WSBA Cat 4 Criterium Championship- 30 minutes of racing starting at 12:15

Women’s Cat 4/5 and the WSBA Cat 4 Criterium Championship- 30 minutes of racing starting at 12:50

Men’s Master’s 40+ Cat 4/5 and Masters 60+ and 70+ (racing together scored separately). This will be the WSBA Cat 40+ Cat 4, 60+, and 70+ Criterium Championship- 30 minutes of racing starting at 1:25

Women’s Cat 3/4 and the WSBA Women’s Cat 3 Criterium Championship- 30 minutes of racing starting at 2:00

New Men’s Cat 3/4 and the WSBA Cat 3 Criterium Championship- 50 minutes of racing starting at 2:35

Men’s Master’s 50+ 1/2/3/4 and the WSBA Men’s 50+ Criterium Championship- 45 minutes of racing starting at 3:20

New Men’s Cat 2/3 and the WSBA Cat 2 Criterium Championship- 50 minutes of racing starting at 4:10 pm

Men’s Master’s 35+ 1/2/3 and the WSBA Men’s 35+ Criterium Championship- 50 minutes of racing starting at 6:15 pm

Men’s P/1/2 and the WSBA Cat 1 Criterium Championship- 70 minutes of racing starting at 7:10 pm

Women’s P/1/2/3 and the Women’s WSBA Criterium Championship- starting at 8:25 pm and finishing at sunset after 50 minutes of racing.

We return to the streets of Downtown Everett for the Full Speed Ahead Crit for EPO 2024. This one is a favorite for both racers and spectators alike. With 8 corners and the race coming past in two directions it keeps the action fast and frequent. This one is all about positioning and carving the turns as anything you lose in the corners you pay for on the straights, none more so than the finish line straight. This stepped climb never gets above 5.5% and averages just 3%, but it won’t feel that shallow on race day. Will you listen to your screaming legs, or the screaming fans…?

The racing kicks off at 6:05 pm with the New Men’s 2/3 category going for 50 minutes followed by the Masters 35+ 1/2/3 at 7:00 for another 50. The Women’s P/1/2/3 goes next at 7:55 for 50 minutes more before the Men’s P/1/2 at 8:50 closes it down under the lights.

Segment details and POV footage links for the data dorks out there (like me). Just know that it’s gonna hurt as all Type II fun does, but that afterwards you can’t wait to race again. The good news is you only have to wait until tomorrow…

Please take time to spend money and say “Thanks” to the businesses affected by the closures. There are a number of great food and drink options along Hewitt Avenue. We’d also ask that you do your best to park on the North and Northeast ends of the course when possible to save parking for the residents and the business’s regular customers. Lastly, bike racing is a privilege and we always want to be a good steward of the resources we’re being given. Let’s be good ambassadors for the sport and leave these streets cleaner than we found them and show the locals how much fun it is to watch bikes go this fast!