Cyclists Will Ride Nearly 450 Miles – Benson Selected as Overnight Stop
BENSON – Cycle North Carolina will begin an all-new route for the 2024 “Mountains to Coast” tour of scenic North Carolina. This is the 25th anniversary of the first Mountains to Coast Ride held back in 1999. This year’s event is scheduled for a Spruce Pine to Ocean Isle Beach trek from October 6th to October 12th.
Additional overnight stays are planned in Lenoir, Statesville, Thomasville, Pittsboro, Benson and Elizabethtown. With beautiful tourist stops along scenic back roads, the “Mountains to Coast” ride is the highlight of the year for many cyclists from across the nation. Roughly 900 cyclists will ride into Benson the afternoon of Thursday, October 10th to eat, drink, explore, rest, and then continue on the next morning.
“The Town of Benson is very excited to Welcome Cycle NC to our community! Our Downtown businesses are ready to greet everyone with open arms and we hope to be a memorable stop on their journey from the mountains to the coast!” stated Kimberly Pickett, Benson Town Manager.
This year’s group of cyclists represent 42 states, plus the District of Columbia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The youngest cyclist to ride for the entire week is 10 years-old, while the oldest participant is 87 years-old. In this year’s tour, bicyclists will experience numerous instances of North Carolina’s unique topography including mountains, ample farmland, several lakes, creeks and winding rivers.
As riders reach Benson’s V. K. Vyas Community Park, where many of them will camp for the evening, they will be greeted with multiple food trucks and music by local artist Bruce Naegelen. Food and entertainment will continue in the park through the afternoon. Cyclists will be encouraged to eat, drink, shop, and stroll while enjoying all the local art around the Railroad St. area. The next morning, as the cyclists get up and head out, The Grind Coffee Shop and Sisters II Catering will be serving up coffee and breakfast items to fuel riders for the road.
“This will be the third time in five years that a Johnston County town has played overnight host to cyclists on the Mountains to Coast ride, and are super excited for riders to experience Benson’s charming downtown district this year,” stated Donna Bailey-Taylor, President/CEO, Johnston County Visitors Bureau.
Hosted by North Carolina Amateur Sports (NCAS), Cycle North Carolina was developed to promote North Carolina’s scenic beauty, heritage tourism, visitor attractions, historic sites, state parks, fitness, healthy lifestyles and the benefits of bicycling to individuals and our state.
During the past 24 years, Cycle North Carolina has stopped overnight in more than 100 North Carolina towns and visited over 800 North Carolina communities. Riders can register for the entire distance, three-day options, or first-day & last-day only options.
