Fourth annual Navajo Nation Fair bike ride successful
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. - There were 40 bicyclists that took to the road in the early morning hours during the Fourth Annual Navajo Nation Fair Bike Ride on Sept. 10 as part of the fitness series hosted by the Window Rock Wellness Center and the Navajo Nation Special Diabetes Project (NNSDP).
"I was real pleased with the bike ride this year," said Paul Edward Tso III, coordinator for the Window Rock Wellness Center. "We had good participation in both the advanced and novice riders and everything ran smoothly. We had excellent help from the staff of Navajo Special Diabetes Project and the Window Rock Department of Public Safety."
David McDommril of Gallup, N.M. took first place in the advanced riders division as he and last year's winner, Hondo Louis, worked together to pace the 24 riders on the 25.7 mile course.
The race started from the Window Rock Veteran's Memorial Park at around 6:25 a.m. while it was still dark. McDommril and Louis took it slow during the first five miles and did not advance to the lead until they were close to Fort Defiance on Navajo Route 112 when they caught Emmett Begay.
When they got to the foothills on Coalmine Road, McDommril and Louis left Begay and all other riders behind. At one point, there was a nine-mile gap between them and the last rider.
There were 16 novice riders this year that completed the 15.7 mile course shortly after 8 a.m. Some of the riders expressed concern after the race because they were late to work and would like to have started a little earlier even though it was still dark at the time.
Although the Department of Public Safety provided escort services with flashing lights to warn drivers about the bikers, there were still motorists who zoomed by without regard for the safety of the cyclists. One motorist had to be stopped in Fort Defiance area for speeding and not yielding to use caution when there were flashing lights.
"The riders all enjoyed the course and were excited to participant in the fitness series during the Navajo Nation Fair," Tso said. "We had many requests from the riders that they would like to see a much longer race, maybe over a hundred miles. It is a challenge that has been given to us by these athletes and we are already considering the course from Window to Ganado, then to Chinle and Tsaile, and then back to Window Rock. But the public needs to be educated about the ride so that we protect the riders and make it a safe and an enjoyable ride."
The other events that were a part of the fitness series included a fun walk and run on Sept. 8 and a biathlon that included a bike ride and 10K run between Window Rock and Fort Defiance.
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