April 8-10: U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open returns to Huntsville

By Claire Aiello

In 2021, we had the opportunity to see some of our country’s top para-cyclists compete in Huntsville. Well, guess what? They’re returning this month – and we invite you to come out and cheer on these inspiring athletes again. The races are free and open to the public.

The U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open, presented by Toyota, is scheduled for April 8-10. There will be three days of racing this year, with Friday, April 8 featuring something new for our city — handcycle team relays. This will pit nation against nation, racing around Big Spring Park downtown. Think U.S. vs. Canada, Mexico, and more — you don’t want to miss this!  Saturday, April 9 will feature time trials, in Cummings Research Park, and Sunday, April 10 will feature the road races, also in CRP. The events are rain or shine.

Here’s what to expect on the three event days:

Friday, April 8: Hand-cycle Relays around Big Spring Park, downtown (6-7 p.m.)

Saturday, April 9: Time Trials in Cummings Research Park (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)

Sunday, April 10: Road Races in Cummings Research Park (12 p.m. – 7 p.m.)

Nationally, Toyota is proud to partner with U.S. Paralympics Cycling, and the company will once again present the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open in Huntsville. We would also like to thank our local event sponsors Toyota Alabama, Raytheon Technologies, Phoenix, Aerojet Rocketdyne, and Northrop Grumman, along with the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Huntsville Sports Commission for their support.

“As a proud partner of Team USA and U.S. Paralympics Cycling, we are excited to again extend our Toyota hospitality to the athletes and event staff who will be making the trip to the Rocket City in April,” said Jason Puckett, president of Toyota Alabama. “This event is a wonderful opportunity for the Huntsville community and our Toyota Alabama team members are looking forward to cheering on all the athletes at the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open.”

Last year’s para-cycling event was considered a qualifying race for the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, and was somewhat limited due to the pandemic. This year’s event is a C1 classification, open to international athletes.  

“We are so excited to return to Huntsville,” Ian Lawless, director of U.S. Paralympics Cycling, said. “Last April, the entire community welcomed Team USA with open arms and rallied around us as we prepared for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. This year, we will be eyeing the 2022 World Para-cycling Road World Championships, and the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open in Huntsville — this time with an international flair — will again be a key part of that journey.”

Last year, many para athletes who competed here went on to compete at the Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo. A few won medals for Team USA, including Oksana Masters (two golds) and Shawn Morelli (gold, silver).  So many of these athletes told our staff and volunteers they had an incredible visit to the Rocket City.

“We heard several times from the athletes about how friendly Huntsville was,” said Erin Koshut, Executive Director of Cummings Research Park. “They said we rolled out the welcome mat, they loved the weather and seeing the ‘green’ in the springtime, because many traveled from colder climates. They also loved the race route in CRP – they said it was challenging and well put together by the race planners.”

Check hsvchamber.org/paracycling and cummingsresearchpark.com/paracycling for updates on the races. For the races in CRP, parking is available at several businesses, and we plan to have food trucks and portable restrooms stationed in different areas. Please come out and cheer on these amazing athletes!

Photos taken by Gregg Gelmis / We Run Huntsville, for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber