After a long hiatus, CRCA was able to regain access to Orchard Beach as a race venue during the 2012 season, returning the Orchard Beach Criterum and its long history to the CRCA calendar. Now entering its third consecutive year the Orchard Beach Criterium continues to grow with the inclusion of community friendly kids races.
CRCA ORCHARD BEACH CRIT CHAMPIONS
| Year | Men | Women |
| 2013 | Zach Koop (CRCA/Blue Ribbon-Translations.com) |
Laura Summers (Central Wheel/GHCC) |
| 2012 | Greg Olsen (CRCA/Champion Systems p/b Stan’s NoTubes) | Laura Summers (Central Wheel/GHCC) |
| 2001 | Kevin Molloy (CRCA/Dash.com) | Catherine Powers (CRCA/Dash.com) |
| 2002 | Arthur Rutte (Win/Holland) | Catherine Powers (Terry Precision) |
| 2000 | Adam Myerson (Breakaway Couriers) | Laura Kiblesbeck (HVVC) |
| 1999 | Jonathan Dechau (CRCA/Renaissance) | Toni Germanotta (CRCA/Polo Sport) |
2014 CRCA ORCHARD BEACH CRIT
We’re excited to announce that the 2014 Orchard Beach Crit will be held on May 4, 2014 in Pelham Bay Park. Thanks to support from the NYC Parks Department we have garnered longer access to the venue – allowing us to run more fields than ever before, making this perhaps the biggest race on the CRCA calendar.
RACE INFORMATION
Registration: via BIKEREG
Race guide: TBA
Schedule: Our preliminary race schedule is below – we have almost doubled the number of fields that we are running, thus allowing racers to participate in multiple fields throughout the day (sorry no multi-field discounts).
| Start time | Race | Min | End |
| 7:30 AM | Men 5 | 30 | 8:00 AM |
| 8:05 AM | Women 4 | 30 | 8:35 AM |
| 8:40 AM | Men 4/5 | 40 | 9:20 AM |
| 9:25 AM | Women 3/4 | 40 | 10:05 AM |
| 10:10 AM | Men 4 | 45 | 10:55 AM |
| 11:00 AM | Juniors 15-16/17-18 | 30 | 11:30 AM |
| 11:35 AM | Masters 40+/50+ (1-4) | 50 | 12:25 PM |
| 12:30 PM | Women 1/2/3 | 50 | 1:20 PM |
| 1:25 PM | Men 3 | 55 | 2:20 PM |
| 2:30 PM | Kids Race | 30 | 2:55 PM |
| 3:05 PM | Men 1/2/3 | 70 | 4:10 PM |
RACE MERCHANDISE
- We will also be offering t-shirts based on the Orchard Beach Flyer for sale with the proceeds to go to the CRCA Junior Development Program.
- All race winners will receive a free Orchard Beach T-Shirt
INCLUSION IN CRCA OPEN RACING SERIES
The 2014 Orchard Beach Criterium will be included in a number of CRCA’s open racing series:
- Men’s P/1/2 Series
- Men’s Cat 3 Series
- Women’s Cat 3/4 Series
For more information on each of these series please visit CRCA.net
KIDS RACES
The Orchard Beach Criterium will include four separate kids races. Registration is free and must be completed via Bikereg. Also please note that a parent / guardian will need to sign a waiver the day of the race – please allow sufficient time to complete paperwork on race day. All participants in the Kids races will receive a medal. The Kids races and distances are as follows (fields may be combined depending on turnout):
- 5 & under: 300 yards
- 5-6 years old: 1 lap
- 7-8 years old: 2 laps
- 9-12 years old: 4 laps
Any questions on the kids races please email openracing[at]crca.net. A special thank you to CRCA Member David Greenberg for organizing the Kids races.
A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT
The Orchard Beach Criterium is designed to be one of the most family friendly events in the region.
- Pelham Bay Park is a beautiful location that presents a wide array of additional activities – including playgrounds and trails along the water close to the race location
- The course is incredibly spectator friendly with an open field of vision that will keep the field in view throughout the race – great space for picnicking and spectating with the whole family.
- The schedule is designed to let nearly all racers compete in at least two fields – race, hang out with your family and then race again!
- The race is just a dozen miles from mid-town Manhattan and is readily accessible by train, bike and car
RACE LOCATION
The race will be held at Orchard Beach in Pelham Bay Park. Pelham Bay Park is one of the hidden gems in the City Parks Department – it is the largest City Park and is in a beautiful location right on the water. It is easily accessible by bike, train or car and is an extremely spectator friendly event – bring out the entire family for a great day of racing. From the NYC.gov website:
More than three times the size of Manhattan’s Central Park, Pelham Bay Park is the City’s largest park property. Visitors to the park enjoy miles of bridle paths and hiking trails, Orchard Beach, the Bartow-Pell Mansion, two golf courses, and a breathtaking 13-mile saltwater shoreline that hugs Long Island Sound. Athletes frequent its numerous fields and courts while children frolic in its playgrounds. Pelham Bay Park also has a wide and diverse range of plant and animal life and features prime locations to view one of nature’s most skillful hunters, the osprey.
RACE HISTORY
The Orchard Beach criterium was once a mainstay on the CRCA race calendar. The event was last held in 2002 and we’re excited – after much discussion with the Parks Department and a great deal of planning – to bring it back in 2012. Results from the Orchard Beach criteriums held in the late 1990?s/early 2000?s are available on CRCA.net Pictures from the 2001 Orchard Beach Criterium are available here: http://www.jt10000.com/team/tgal/gal20.htm In addition here is an excerpted race report courtesy of the since disbanded CRCA/Conrad’s team covering the 2000 Orchard Beach Race:
What a fun venue. It’s easy to get to by car, train or bike and the course is good and different so different from Central and Prospect Parks, with real corners…There was all kinds of action in this points race, with numerous groups going away. We were a bit out of sync, despite having a bunch of guys in the race — Eugene, Tim, Walid, Gary and JT, plus Paul in the masters. There were a number of promising moves, including when six guys joined Tim and another attacker — but we had no one in those six which was a big mistake. Adam Myerson of CRCA-Breakaway Courier Systems won, with really good sprinting from the field and from breaks, duly assisted by teammate Charlie Issendorf. Eugene was fourth and we were impressed by the horsepower of the Jet Fuel guys from Canada. 1. Adam Myerson – Breakaway Couriers, 2. Andrew Randell – Jet Fuel, 3. Josh Hall – Jet Fuel, 4. Eugene Boronow – CRCA-SCBC 5. Chris Chong Tenn – Navigators, 6. Dave Ebling – HVVC, 7. Steve Badger – CRCA-ReMax, 8. Inson Wood – CRCA-Keith Haring Foundation, 9. Lane Rodgrs – CRCA-Keith Haring Foundation, 10. David Jordan – CRCA-Union Square Cafe (34 starters; 35 miles in 1:20:31)
The women’s race appeared less animated, which suited Hudson Valley CC’s Laura Kibelsbeck. She won, with help from teammate Janice Sibilia. 1. Laura Kiblesbeck – HVVC, 2. Vickie Huffman – Team UrbanFetch.com, 3. Tara Parsons – CRCA-RLX Polo Sports, 4. Ann Marie Miller – CRCA-Women’s Sports & Fitness, 5. Nina Strika – CRCA-RLX Polo Sports, 6. Catherine Powers – CRCA-Dash-Renaissance, 7. Shari Stillman – Team UrbanFetch.com (23 starters; 20 miles in 50:54)
Orchard Beach Women’s Field 1999