Village, race officials prepare for upcoming Iceman Nov. 2

KALKASKA – The countdown has begun and soon literally thousands of cycling enthusiasts will descend on the Village of Kalkaska for the start of the annual Iceman Cometh Challenge, a 29-mile mountain bike race set for Saturday, Nov. 2.

The journey will take the more than 5,000 participants from more than 35 states, competing in a variety of amateur and professional divisions, from Kalkaska to the outskirts of Traverse City, with the finish line again at the Timber Ridge RV & Recreation Resort.

While the finish line remains the same, what’s new for the 2019 race is the location of the starting line. That’s been moved from downtown Kalkaska, near the intersection of Walnut and Fourth streets, to the Kalkaska Village Airport on Island Lake Road.

“I am very excited for the change in venue,” said Harley Wales, Kalkaska village president. “I'm hoping that getting the race to a new starting point will allow the locals to enjoy the race more, and businesses to benefit from the influx of people without any inconvenience.

“I'm hoping the move proves to be a success that we can repeat for years to come,” Wales added.

It’s not the first time organizers have moved the starting line.

For years, the start of the bike race was held on the grounds of Kalkaska Middle School. That was before it was moved downtown along Walnut Street, between Third and Fourth streets, allowing those racing in the event, as well as spectators and race officials, to use the former village office building nearby.

The starting line was again moved in 2017 – after the collapse of the building’s roof the previous winter – to the Kalkaska Civic Center, located off West Mile Road (M-72), near the Kaliseum Recreation Complex.

Local resident Bill Garrock, who’s helped organize other events at the Kalkaska airport, such as the popular K-Town Showdown drag races, said he believes the airport offers several advantages over previous starting line sites.

“There’s so many different pros to the move,” Garrock said. “There’s more to experience for the spectators. There’s more accessibility. There’s better parking.”

He added that race supporters and spectators should be able to have a much improved view of the start of the race – and for a slightly longer period of time – as the racers loop around the airport’s grounds, before they disappear into the nearby woods.

As racers and their teams prep for the first wave to start at 9 a.m. on Nov. 2, the Kalkaska Chapter of the Kiwanis Club will be serving a pancake breakfast nearby in the Kalkaska Public Transit Authority garage starting at 7 a.m. The KPTA will also be the site where participants will register and pick up race packets.

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