Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic: At a glance

SEATTLE TO PORTLAND BICYCLE CLASSIC: AT A GLANCE

• WHAT: Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic

• WHEN: Saturday, July 11

• WHERE: The race begins in the E1 parking lot at the University of Washington (Montlake Boulevard). For cyclists who plan on completing the race in one day, the event begins at 4:45 a.m. For cyclists who plan on completing the event in two days, it will begin at 5:15 a.m.

• TWO STARTING TIMES: Cyclists will be sent off in 10-minute intervals. The first wave will go from 4:45 a.m.-5:15 a.m. The second wave will go from 5:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

• WHO: This year’s race marks a high point for the event, as 10,000 participants have been entered. The previous high of 9,500 cyclists was established last year. Of those 10,000 riders, 172 of them — 128 men and 44 women — are from Kent.

• NOTABLE: The Group Health STP is a 200-mile bicycle ride, the largest multi-day bicycle event in the Pacific Northwest. Considered one of the best cycling events in the nation by Bicycling Magazine, the route takes cyclists through the scenic valleys, forests and farmlands of Western Washington and Oregon, with water, food, first aid and rest stops along the way.

• IN KENT: Some of the first riders will be entering Kent by about 5:30 Saturday morning. The remainder of the 10,000 will be coming through the city throughout the morning. The route will take cyclists through Kent on portions of the following roads: South 228th Street, 68th Avenue South (West Valley Highway), Washington Avenue, James Street, Meeker Street, West Willis Street (SR 516), and the Green River Bridge on the West Valley Highway. The cyclists will continue along the West Valley Highway to the Sumner and Puyallup areas.

• FINISH LINE: One-day riders will arrive in Portland on the evening of Saturday, July 11, and two-day riders will spend the night at the midpoint at Centralia College and arrive in Portland on Sunday, July 12.