If you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade like me, you may never have heard of the Univest Grand Prix. It wasn’t until recently I was informed that Montgomery County is home to the top ranked biking race by the USA National Cycling Calendar. In fact, there are only seven races sanctioned by the International Cycling Union across the United States, the Univest Grand Prix being one of them. Elite racers travel from all over the globe each September to take part in this two day event.
If you are looking for some excitement in the area this month, the Univest Grand Prix should be at the top of your list. An entire weekend of festivities (September 17-18) are planned around this event that spans both Montgomery and Bucks County. The main race starts at 11AM on Saturday, September 17th and features an extremely challenging 100 mile course around Souderton, Telford, & Franconia. At this time, Souderton will also be hosting a family expo in the downtown area which runs from 10AM-3PM to coincide with the race.
Photo Courtesy of Univest Grand Prix
After Saturday’s events conclude, head over to Doylestown on Sunday, September 18th for the Univest Grand Prix Criterium. This 50 mile race circles beautiful downtown Doylestown and is described as “short circuit, fast-action racing.” While watching the race, stroll through Doylestown’s Annual Art Festival which is also held in unison with the race.
For all of those that can’t make it out, this international event will be televised on Saturday, September 17th from 12-3PM on 69 WFMZ. Another great way to keep up with the status of the race is through a text messaging service that will be texting out updates throughout the course of the race to mobile phones. Additionally, there are many volunteer positions available – including the opportunity to host an international racer at your house for the weekend. Please visit the Souderton-Telford Main Streets website for further information on the texting service and volunteer opportunities.
As this is a major event for the area that only comes around once a year, Montco Happening plans on attending both the Saturday race in Souderton and the Sunday race in Doylestown. We hope to see you there! Please see below for additional race information.
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