MGST 2017 Recap
Sunday, May 7th was unlike any other Sunday morning. It started just a bit earlier than normal. At 4:15am. All was dark and quiet except for the hushed sounds of lists being checked, boxes being shuffled, trailers being loaded and last minute documents being printed. As 20 plus volunteers began converging on our event headquarters at Willow Metropark, the silvery starlit sunrise offered promises of a glorious day ahead. The birds began greeting us with their cheerful good mornings as raccoons, skunks, owls and other nocturnal creatures were settling in for their daily rest.
By 6:00am, our crew was all abustle with finalizing last minute details for the registration, breakfast and food areas. Maps were hung on the walls with care, T-shirts were gently folded. A WIFI network was established. Printers were set-up and tested. The food areas were precisely laid out for easy access at Willow for all the paved route riders and Rolling Hills for the gravel riders. The Woodhaven Kiwanis Club’s brand new pancake griddle was lit. Final route markings were completed. The Motor City Radio Club’s antenna was hoisted with the NET established. And, at last, the gallons of coffee had finished perking. We were ready!
The energy was apparent as riders were lining up as early as 6:15am in hopes of rolling early to get their miles in. Smiles abounded amongst our volunteers and riders alike as the 2017 MGST began working it’s way into the history books. Some riders were scooping up their favorite paper route maps while other were scanning the event route QR codes with their Smartphones to download the Ride with GPS routes directly. While some riders took advantage of the Kiwanis Club’s offerings to prep for their rides, others chose to put in some miles before coming back for their pancakes, sausage, apple sauce, orange juice and coffee breakfasts.
In addition to the breakfast, riders were offered a selection of bananas, oranges, grapes, bagels, peanut butter and honey sandwiches along with water and Gatorade at our well stocked Willow food stop. No one could possibly forget the super delicious cookie assortment that is a staple of MGSTs past and present.
We want to thank the nearly 500 riders who came out to support our event this year. This, the 34th annual running of the MGST, was a great success in no small part due to our riders who supported us and the total of 34 volunteers who orchestrated the planning and execution of this year’s event. Thirty-four! Is that a coincidence? We think not. It truly does take that many dedicated volunteers to mastermind an event like this. We are proud and thankful that the Downriver Cycling Club has those dedicated person who gave up their personal and Family time to help out.
By now you may have received, or will soon receive, an e-mail invitation to take our post-ride satisfaction survey. We would very much appreciate your feedback if you could please take a couple of minutes to complete it. That will help us to improve the ride next year. Thank you one and all for your continued support in 2017 and we’ll see you in 2018 at our 35th annual MGST.
We have one item that was left behind in the parking lot after the event. Here are a few hints: It's circular, has spokes, is wrapped in rubber and spins. If you've lost such an item at our event, please contact Dan Spangler at mgst_chair@downrivercycling.org
Event pictures can be viewed and downloaded for free at this link: MGST 2017 Pictures.
By 6:00am, our crew was all abustle with finalizing last minute details for the registration, breakfast and food areas. Maps were hung on the walls with care, T-shirts were gently folded. A WIFI network was established. Printers were set-up and tested. The food areas were precisely laid out for easy access at Willow for all the paved route riders and Rolling Hills for the gravel riders. The Woodhaven Kiwanis Club’s brand new pancake griddle was lit. Final route markings were completed. The Motor City Radio Club’s antenna was hoisted with the NET established. And, at last, the gallons of coffee had finished perking. We were ready!
The energy was apparent as riders were lining up as early as 6:15am in hopes of rolling early to get their miles in. Smiles abounded amongst our volunteers and riders alike as the 2017 MGST began working it’s way into the history books. Some riders were scooping up their favorite paper route maps while other were scanning the event route QR codes with their Smartphones to download the Ride with GPS routes directly. While some riders took advantage of the Kiwanis Club’s offerings to prep for their rides, others chose to put in some miles before coming back for their pancakes, sausage, apple sauce, orange juice and coffee breakfasts.
In addition to the breakfast, riders were offered a selection of bananas, oranges, grapes, bagels, peanut butter and honey sandwiches along with water and Gatorade at our well stocked Willow food stop. No one could possibly forget the super delicious cookie assortment that is a staple of MGSTs past and present.
We want to thank the nearly 500 riders who came out to support our event this year. This, the 34th annual running of the MGST, was a great success in no small part due to our riders who supported us and the total of 34 volunteers who orchestrated the planning and execution of this year’s event. Thirty-four! Is that a coincidence? We think not. It truly does take that many dedicated volunteers to mastermind an event like this. We are proud and thankful that the Downriver Cycling Club has those dedicated person who gave up their personal and Family time to help out.
By now you may have received, or will soon receive, an e-mail invitation to take our post-ride satisfaction survey. We would very much appreciate your feedback if you could please take a couple of minutes to complete it. That will help us to improve the ride next year. Thank you one and all for your continued support in 2017 and we’ll see you in 2018 at our 35th annual MGST.
We have one item that was left behind in the parking lot after the event. Here are a few hints: It's circular, has spokes, is wrapped in rubber and spins. If you've lost such an item at our event, please contact Dan Spangler at mgst_chair@downrivercycling.org
Event pictures can be viewed and downloaded for free at this link: MGST 2017 Pictures.
2017 Day Of Event Details
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Registration and Check-In
Registration and check-in opened at 7:00 am. The pancake breakfast was served from 7:30 am to 11:30 am. All riders were off the courses by 4:30 pm. All riders doing 75 or 100 miles must left before 8:00 am. Our ride started at the Willow Metropark Pool/Activity Area located at 23200 S Huron Rd, New Boston, MI 48164. |
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Routes
Go to our 2017 Routes Page to get all the details on our routes including downloads for maps, cue sheets, and files for your GPS device. |
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Food Stops
The main food stop was at Willow Metropark near the registration and packet pick-up areas. The gravel route also had a food stop at Rolling Hills Park. The Willow food stop closed at 4:30pm. The Rolling Hills stop closed at 2pm. Support and Gear (SAG) Mobile SAG support was available by calling 734-796-RIDE (7433), which was printed on the wrist bands. This phone number was also printed on all map hand-outs. For emergencies, please dial 911. |
