Students from the Haslam College of Business will host Tour de Knox, a bike rally in association with Outdoor KnoxFest, on Sunday, April 26.
The 2:00–4:00 p.m. event, which begins and ends at Neyland Stadium, aims to promote biking in the UT and downtown areas while raising funds for the Legacy Parks Foundation.
“We are working together with Legacy Parks to build a strong bike culture and safety mindset in the Knoxville community,” said Jessica Burchfield, the student leader of the group. “We have very accessible greenways and bike routes around town, and we want to show everyone how easy it is to ride to and around UT and downtown.”
The event is part of Outdoor KnoxFest, a two-day series of urban adventures hosted by Pilot Flying J and the Legacy Parks Foundation. Outdoor Knoxfest is a signature event of the Dogwood Arts Festival and also includes trail runs, a fly-fishing clinic, a sailing demo and clinic, a campout at Ijams Nature Center, and other similar outdoor activities.
Tour de Knox is a self-guided bike route of campus and downtown Knoxville with fifteen checkpoints, including World’s Fair Park, Market Square, and the Outdoor Adventure Center. Participants will begin at Neyland Stadium Plaza on UT’s campus and receive raffle tickets for each checkpoint they reach within a seventy-five-minute period. Tickets will be entered into a prize drawing at the end of the event.
Prizes include a lightweight camping tent from REI and a competition-grade road bike donated by Echelon as well as helmets, water bottles, and gift certificates. The Juice Bar will be serving free juice to the riders.
Registration is $15 for adults and $10 for students. Riders of any age and ability are encouraged to attend, and there will be a safety overview for all who plan to participate. Participants can preregister online or beginning 12:30 p.m. the day of the event.
Tour de Knox consists of four Haslam College of Business students in a service-learning class led by marketing and supply chain faculty member Ernie Cadotte.
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CONTACT:
Jessica Burchfield (865-643-4916, jburchf2@vols.utk.edu)
Katie Bahr (865-974-3589, katiebahr@utk.edu)