The Pan-Mass Challenge organizers just sent riders a quick list of some statistics from this years rides.  Here’s the breakdown:

• Registered:             5,216
• Off the line:           4,949
• % – Male / Female:      65/35
• % – Alumni / 1st Year:  75/25
• Avg. Years in PMC:      4.6
• Average Age of Riders:  43
• 2-day:                  3,557
• 1-day:                  943
• 1-day Sunday:           449
• Teens: 13-19            176
• Over 70:                39
• Volunteer/Ride          36
• Sturbridge Sat:         2,521
• Wellesley Sat:          1,978
• States:                 36
• Countries:              10
• Volunteers:             3,000
• Kids Rides:             36
• # of Kids:              7,000

Quite impressive numbers.  It’s amazing that the organizers can consistenly, and with apparent flawlessness, organize an event with these numbers.  The numbers are capped but it certainly seems that the total donations are down slightly over last year, most likely as a result of the economy.

Matt

As you well know, this year I decided to do the Pan-Mass Challenge, a 200-mile bike ride from Sturbridge, MA to Provincetown, MA on August 7th and 8th to raise money on behalf of the Jimmy Fund and cancer research. I have always heard a lot about it, have loved cycling, and have wanted to ride the PMC – 2004 just happened to be the first year I have been afforded the time and resources to pursue it.

Saturday, August 7th – My alarm went off at 3:30am and I was ready to go. I brought my bike and gear outside to a surprising 50° morning. Spandex and shaved legs don’t lend themselves well to dark 50 degree weather, but not much we could do about it now. We arrived at the start in Sturbridge to an amazing number of people. It was announced that a record 1,750 people would be departing in the dark that cold morning. We slowly signed in, dropped off our bags, and stood in the cold beside our bikes. We instantly recognized the fact that we were – by far – the babies of the bunch. We had been told that the average age of the riders was 45, but I guess I expected a lot more riders in the 85-95 age range to bring the average as high as it was. I was wrong. By the 110 mile finish, our top speed of the day had been about 52-53 mph and my heart rate reached a max of 195 beats per minute during the climb up the ensuing hill.

Sunday, August 8th – Sunday’s ride was a bit more casual but the wind soon proved to be another challenge. The sea breeze defeated any increase of temperatures over the previous morning, the only plus being that we instantly began to climb for a couple miles up and over the Bourne Bridge. I’m not sure where we went from there, but the next 30 miles were over some beautiful roads of rolling hills. We expected Saturday to be the “hillier” of the two days and were already changing that idea fast. When we reached the last 10 miles, our pace picked up a bit and we finally came into sight of the finish – tons of spectators were cheering us on and it was a party in progress despite the fact that it was only about 11am. We quickly got rid of our bikes, changed out of our clothes, and started browsing the food tents. All the food we could eat, free beer from Harpoon, and a nice ocean breeze made a satisfying finish. The ferry to Boston didn’t depart until 3pm, so we spent the next four hours eating, napping, drinking, and more eating and napping.

Matt & Jeff at the finish of the 2004 PMC

Overall, I was extremely impressed with the organization of the PMC. Of course, I am always pleased when I don’t have to make my own food. However, everything was handled perfectly – transportation of our bags, digital wristbands, repair stations and wagons, intersections with police stopping traffic for us – all very impressive.

A few people have asked me, “what happens if you finish it first?” Well, nothing aside from the fact that you missed the entire point of the PMC. The ride was a blast, but the sense of camaraderie based on the significance of the ride was what will stand out in my memory over time. Riders were always courteous to others, talking and joking about the hill, wind, or just strange spectators (Jeff- the crazy lady yelling gibberish in central Ma?!). All around you there were people to ride with and virtually everyone worked together to create pace-lines and work in a group.

It took a while for me to realize, but there is a single aspect that will stand out in my head as inspirational. At first it sounded a bit foreign, as I was doing what I enjoy – cycling. But the more I heard it, the more I contemplated the larger effects of my ride. The one thing that impresses me the most is the sole number of spectators and people who simply said, “Thank you for riding.”

To everyone that helped me accomplish my goal, thank you for supporting me. And until next year – ride on,

Matt