We are excited to announce that we will have locations from South American Fork to Highland!
There are several reasons why this change is being implemented which are outlined below:
- We were concerned about SAFETY of our riders on the prior course. Gravel on the roads, pot holes, poor and deteriorating road conditions, trains and rail road tracks, traffic going to the boat harbor, green waste facility, crossing major intersections, left turns, and more.
- We were competing with a growing business for parking – Dialogue Direct now takes up the first two floors of the building where we utilize the parking lots. They work their employees on Saturdays which conflict with our riders being safe as well. We have had people pull cones to park in our areas that are blocked off. We have had people pull through the Start/Finish line, while the event was in process, because they did not realize what was going on and were confused.
We spent some time looking for a route of comparable distance, yet with better overall conditions and very few fit what we were looking for. So, we are excited to announce that we will have use of the Lone Peak High School – South Parking lot in Highland, Utah.
- Start and go SOUTH to the west side of the Mount Timpanogos LDS Temple to 700 North in American Fork
- Go West on 700 North to 200 East
- Go North on 200 East past the Fox Hollow Golf Course and merge onto the Alpine Highway
- Take the Alpine Highway north to the Timpanogos Highway
- Go East to 4800 West in and then South to the Lone Peak High School.
- The total distance of one lap is about 7.2 miles making it comparable to our route used in the past.
We have a Map available on our website as well as in a post.
This has some great benefits:
- Paved, well-maintained roads with no left turns, we are not dealing with multiple organizations trying to park and use the facilities, we will not be crossing busy intersections, however, the route is on three busier roads.
- The route is straighter – Less turns – mostly left hand turns, still SEVEN (7) miles. This will facilitate a Junior Division for the younger riders and we will accommodate for a ride of similar length – maybe even longer… for the riders who will do the full event.
- All prior records will not carry over to this new venue which means that we start fresh with Donut King/Queen and other Podium Finish Results!
While we are continuing to work out the details, we want you to know that we are looking out for the safety of our participants. This change will bring with it some challenges – but we are ready to tackle those “head on” in order to provide a great event for our riders!
Stay tuned for additional news and updates!
Glenn R Smith, Chair 2016 Utah Tour de Donut