2004 Tour de Greenway

Cyclists Ride Inaugural Maine to Florida Tour!

On Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004 a band of nine cyclists set out from Calais, Maine in hopes of becoming the first group of people ever to travel the full length of the East Coast Greenway. With approximately 80 percent of the route on road, the going was not always easy, but the tour’s riders persevered and pulled into Key West victorious on Wednesday, Nov. 3 after 24 flat tires and nearly 2,800 miles behind them.
Before their departure, members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe blessed them in a ritual sending-off ceremony, and the tour’s honorary co-chairs, Senator Paul Sarbanes (MD) and Congressman James Langevin (RI), offered words of support.

“I cannot think of a more worthy endeavor to help our environment and improve the health of our citizens through recreation and exercise,” wrote Senator Sarbanes in his letter to the riders.
Donning the official cycling jersey of the First ECG Maine to Florida Tour, the group headed out under high spirits and azure skies, cheered on by local trail enthusiasts as they set out for the southernmost point in the U.S.
Over the next 53 days the group traversed 15 states plus the District of Columbia and experienced the many different landscapes of the eastern seaboard. Crossing through both urban and rural areas, the cyclists traveled along abandoned railroad corridors, canal towpaths, urban greenways, waterfront esplanades, and park paths.

And they're off! Nine cyclists depart Calais on this historic ride to Key West.

The Riders

Bicycling the East Coast was only one of the challenges the tour cyclists faced. Each rider was required to raise $10,000 to ride the full tour or $3,000 for one individual segment of the journey.
The first long-distance trail of its kind, the Greenway is often referred to as the “urban Appalachian Trail” because it links all the major cities of the East Coast. Unlike the famed Appalachian, however, the Greenway is accessible to users of all ages and ability levels.

A group photo of the cyclists at the ECG's southern terminus in Key West, Florida. See the cyclists' bios
As testament to this fact, all seven of the through riders were over age 50, as were three of the four cyclists who joined for various segments. Their participation proves that people want to lead active, healthy lifestyles at all ages.
At 74, Jack Kurrle of Sun City West, Ariz. was the tour’s oldest end-to-end participant. Two years ago he was hit by a car while cycling through South Carolina on a trip down the coast. The collision broke his neck and back, fractured his hip, and punctured his inner ear.
One year later Jack was back on his bike and cycled 5,000 miles over the next 12 months, much to the amazement of his friends and family. For him, riding the First ECG Maine to Florida tour was a crowning achievement in his rehabilitation.

Another remarkable end-to-end cyclist, Anne Kruimer of Edison, N.J. was paralyzed at the waist in 1992 while running errands by bike with her husband, Mike. Today the couple rides a specially designed tandem handcycle/bicycle that allows Anne to cycle by hand at the front of the bike while Mike pedals with feet behind her.
“Overall the ride was great, something I’ll always remember for the rest of my life,” Mike said after pulling into Key West. “Maybe 15 years from now we’ll ride the completed ECG with our granddaughter. That’s my new dream.”

The Rewards

Besides netting over $40,000 to help advance the Greenway, the tour secured a remarkable level of publicity, with over 300 instances of media coverage from outlets like USA Today, National Public Radio, CNN, and many large market newspapers along the ECG corridor.
Perhaps even more importantly, we learned much about our route that will be used as we work to complete the off-road sections and improve the interim on-road routing.
The Alliance would like to extend a word of thanks to the many people who helped make this tour possible, particularly the tour’s support staff who so generously volunteered their time and energy and the many businesses that offered their support during the tour. Thanks for making this tour a colossal triumph!

>Want to know more about the First ECG Maine to Florida Tour?
~ Check out through-rider Myron Skott's Web log for audio, photos, and daily narratives from the tour.
~ Take a look at the tour's itinerary as the riders traveled 2,800 miles from Calais to Key West.
~ Meet the tour's planning team - the coordinator, leader, and one of the support vehicle drivers.
Click on a name below to read a little about the riders who created custom Web pages to help in their pre-tour fundraising efforts:

The Kruimers
Myron Skott
Carroll Webber
David Wood

Any questions can be sent to the ECGA via email: info@greenway.org.

"Finally, here are bikes that fit right into your life. Transportation Breezers deliver comfort and performance as you go where you need to go." Thanks to Breezer for donating a bicycle for trail inspection and tour support purposes.

Return to the East Coast Greenway homepage


Cyclists Ride Inaugural Maine to Florida Tour!
On Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004 a band of nine cyclists set out from Calais, Maine in hopes of becoming the first group of people ever to travel the full length of the East Coast Greenway. With approximately 80 percent of the route on road, the going was not always easy, but the tour’s riders persevered and pulled into Key West victorious on Wednesday, Nov. 3 after 24 flat tires and nearly 2,800 miles behind them. Before their departure, members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe blessed them in a ritual sending-off ceremony, and the tour’s honorary co-chairs, Senator Paul Sarbanes (MD) and Congressman James Langevin (RI), offered words of support.
“I cannot think of a more worthy endeavor to help our environment and improve the health of our citizens through recreation and exercise,” wrote Senator Sarbanes in his letter to the riders. Donning the official cycling jersey of the First ECG Maine to Florida Tour, the group headed out under high spirits and azure skies, cheered on by local trail enthusiasts as they set out for the southernmost point in the U.S. Over the next 53 days the group traversed 15 states plus the District of Columbia and experienced the many different landscapes of the eastern seaboard. Crossing through both urban and rural areas, the cyclists traveled along abandoned railroad corridors, canal towpaths, urban greenways, waterfront esplanades, and park paths.		And they're off! Nine cyclists depart Calais on this historic ride to Key West.
The Riders
Bicycling the East Coast was only one of the challenges the tour cyclists faced. Each rider was required to raise $10,000 to ride the full tour or $3,000 for one individual segment of the journey. The first long-distance trail of its kind, the Greenway is often referred to as the “urban Appalachian Trail” because it links all the major cities of the East Coast. Unlike the famed Appalachian, however, the Greenway is accessible to users of all ages and ability levels.
A group photo of the cyclists at the ECG's southern terminus in Key West, Florida. See the cyclists' bios	As testament to this fact, all seven of the through riders were over age 50, as were three of the four cyclists who joined for various segments. Their participation proves that people want to lead active, healthy lifestyles at all ages. At 74, Jack Kurrle of Sun City West, Ariz. was the tour’s oldest end-to-end participant. Two years ago he was hit by a car while cycling through South Carolina on a trip down the coast. The collision broke his neck and back, fractured his hip, and punctured his inner ear. One year later Jack was back on his bike and cycled 5,000 miles over the next 12 months, much to the amazement of his friends and family. For him, riding the First ECG Maine to Florida tour was a crowning achievement in his rehabilitation.
Another remarkable end-to-end cyclist, Anne Kruimer of Edison, N.J. was paralyzed at the waist in 1992 while running errands by bike with her husband, Mike. Today the couple rides a specially designed tandem handcycle/bicycle that allows Anne to cycle by hand at the front of the bike while Mike pedals with feet behind her. “Overall the ride was great, something I’ll always remember for the rest of my life,” Mike said after pulling into Key West. “Maybe 15 years from now we’ll ride the completed ECG with our granddaughter. That’s my new dream.”
The Rewards
Besides netting over $40,000 to help advance the Greenway, the tour secured a remarkable level of publicity, with over 300 instances of media coverage from outlets like USA Today, National Public Radio, CNN, and many large market newspapers along the ECG corridor. Perhaps even more importantly, we learned much about our route that will be used as we work to complete the off-road sections and improve the interim on-road routing. The Alliance would like to extend a word of thanks to the many people who helped make this tour possible, particularly the tour’s support staff who so generously volunteered their time and energy and the many businesses that offered their support during the tour. Thanks for making this tour a colossal triumph!
>Want to know more about the First ECG Maine to Florida Tour? ~ Check out through-rider Myron Skott's Web log for audio, photos, and daily narratives from the tour. ~ Take a look at the tour's itinerary as the riders traveled 2,800 miles from Calais to Key West. ~ Meet the tour's planning team - the coordinator, leader, and one of the support vehicle drivers. Click on a name below to read a little about the riders who created custom Web pages to help in their pre-tour fundraising efforts: The Kruimers Myron Skott Carroll Webber David Wood Any questions can be sent to the ECGA via email: info@greenway.org. "Finally, here are bikes that fit right into your life. Transportation Breezers deliver comfort and performance as you go where you need to go." Thanks to Breezer for donating a bicycle for trail inspection and tour support purposes. Return to the East Coast Greenway homepage