Hundreds of young cyclists will enjoy some of the same emotions that the pros feel when they descend on the streets of downtown West Chester in the West Chester Dental Arts Kids’ Race. This popular event will kick off this year’s Benchmark Twilight Cycling Classic on Saturday, August 11, 2018, at 3:30 p.m.

“It’s so much fun watching kids pedal furiously to the cheers of family, friends and all the spectators that line Gay Street. No wonder that the kids enjoy it so much,” said Mark Yoder, President of the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce, organizer of the Benchmark Twilight Cycling Classic.

All children between the ages of 3 and 10 are invited to participate in this free event. There will be four age-determined categories of races: 3-4 years of age, 5-6 years of age, 7-8 years of age, 9-10 years of age. Every child will finish with honors and an official Race Day medal. The kids’ race sponsor, West Chester Dental Arts, will also present a special T-shirt to all participants.

“We’re beyond excited to sponsor the kids’ race for the 9th consecutive year,” says Dr. Eric Fort of West Chester Dental Arts. “Our staff looks forward to this event every year. It’s such an amazing opportunity for us to meet all the new members of the community and reconnect with old friends.”

Of course, all riders will be required to wear a helmet. Parents must register their children between 2:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. at the registration booth on West Gay Street between Church and New Streets. To expedite the registration process, it is requested that the form be downloaded from the race website and filled out in at advance.

At the end of the race, children will arrive in the Kids’ Zone, located on Gay Street between High and Walnut Streets where they will find giant bounce houses, inflatables of all descriptions, games, and other children-focused activities. Other family-oriented attractions include the Community Festival on High Street that will offer a cornucopia of booths filled with all the latest must-haves, food choices and a party-like ambiance.

After the West Chester Dental Arts Kids’ Race, the spotlight shifts to the Tolsdorf Twilight Trike Challenge, the popular tag-team race that pits 5-member teams against each other on adult-size tricycles. This series of hot-handed, cold-blooded heats takes place on Gay Street.

The Rothman Institute Amateur Criterium will take place at 5:45 p.m., followed by two key professional bike races: the 40K Brumbaugh Wealth Management Pro Women’s Criterium at 6:45 p.m. and the 75K Iron Hill Pro Men’s Criterium. Both events feature top-professional riders in an exciting contest of speed and endurance as riders fly by at break-neck speeds, shoulder-to-shoulder and wheel-to-wheel, over a streetlight-lit route in downtown West Chester.

For more information on West Chester Dental Arts Kids’ Race and all the day’s events, go to www.GreaterWestChester.com.