Milford Criterium July 29 features slate of bike races

Bicyclists will converge on the streets of downtown Milford when the 4th annual Milford Criterium road races are held on Sunday, July 29.

Registration will take place on Sunday at 7 a.m. and end 30 minutes prior to the scheduled starting time of each race.

Registration fees range from $15 for junior bikers to $45 for the top professional male bikers. Each rider must wear a helmet.

The event is being presented by the DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital.

A criterium race takes place on a short course with bikers competing for a certain length of time, followed by a certain number of laps, both of which varies based upon age, gender, and experience of the competitors.

The races will be held on a closed road course through downtown Milford that will stretch for 0.92 miles. It will start at the intersection of Main Street and Center Street and head north on Main before heading west down Commerce Road, south down Cabinet Street, and east on Liberty Road. The race will then head south through Central Park before heading back north on Main Street, concluding back at the intersection of Main Street and Center Street.

The event will consist of 14 races, ranging in age, gender, and biking levels, including junior girls and boys, masters men (ages 35-plus), and elite men and women.

The first race will begin at 8 a.m. as the junior boys and girls compete, with the bikers being split up into two groups, ages 14 and under and 15- to 18-years-old. The length of the race will vary by group. The Elite Men/Professional group will conclude the event with its race at 4:15 p.m.

Awards range from prizes for younger riders to cash prizes for elite and masters groups.

In between, there will also be a free kids fun race at 1:15 p.m., with free registration from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For more information and a complete schedule of races, visit the event’s official website, milfordcrit.org, or the event’s official page on Facebook by typing in “Milford Criterium” in the search bar.