For the second year in a row, The Riverwest 24 -- Milwaukee’s only 24-hour bike race -- rolls through the Riverwest neighborhood. The event takes place this Friday, July 24 at 7 p.m. and continues until Saturday evening. This year, a jazz band will play a 24-hour set to support the riders.
According to co-organizer Jeremy Prach, 343 people registered to race as opposed to the 188 participants last year. People are encouraged to still join the race, but will not be eligible for T-shirts or food because of the high number of riders already registered.
"The support has been overwhelming," says Prach.
The 5-mile course winds through the Riverwest neighborhood, and teams and individuals compete to complete the most laps during the 24-hour timeframe. Multiple block parties and live music support the event.
A large block party in the 3000 block of Pierce Street will host a variety of local bands, including The Figureheads with a kids' set at 2:45 p.m.; Ben Hall from The Ragadors at 3:30 p.m.; Uncle Larry at 4:30 p.m.; Irok Z at 5:30 p.m.; DJ Kres at 6:30 p.m.; The Figureheads with an adult set at 7:30 p.m. and Hearts of Stone at 8:30 p.m.
Glendale’s Christal Korfhage is riding with a team called "Fierce Pierce" and she plans to pull two riding shifts, including the 3-5 a.m. time slot.
"I am looking forward to experiencing Riverwest in a new way since I do not live in the neighborhood, but love it," says Korfhage. "Seeing all the people and the cheering will be great."
Prach says the RW24 is 100 percent D.I.Y.
"We have not taken a dollar of offered corporate support, from the T-shirts to the home cooked meals," he says. "Enjoy."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
