Posted on May 10, 2024
Push, Pedal, Win! Wheelchair and Handcycle Athletes Glide into River Bank Run
This weekend, racers of all abilities are heading to downtown Grand Rapids for the 47th annual Amway River Bank Run. The wheelchair and handcycle athletes are ready to compete, as the divisions welcome 30 athletes coming from West Michigan and across the nation.
The River Bank Run is the largest road race in the country, and the only race in the world to offer a 25K wheelchair racing division. The Wheelchair and Handcycle Divisions are exciting for spectators with push-rim racers reaching speeds near 20 mph and hand cyclists exceeding 30 mph. The races begin at 8:15 a.m. on race day; and with the course in its third year of the new layout, athletes are loving their faster times.
West Michigan local, Steve Chapman, is looking to repeat as winner of the Handcycle Division 25K. Chapman, who was paralyzed in an accident at the age of 19, took some time to adjust to life using a wheelchair. After finding his way into adaptive sports, he became an accomplished athlete, competing at the national level in handcycling, wheelchair basketball and tennis.
Now at the age of 60, Steve Chapman has decades of experience as a para-athlete. He has traveled the nation for competitions, including six competitions in the Boston Marathon. Steve is currently a coach of the Mary Free Bed Handcycling Team and has been a long-time instructor for the Mary Free Bed Jr. Wheelchair Sports Camp.
“I always look forward to this race,” said Steve Chapman. “It was the very first race I ever participated in, and it lit the fire for my racing career.”
The Mary Free Bed Guild has sponsored the River Bank Run Wheelchair Division for 34 years and the Handcycle Division for 18 years. The Guild provides financial support for the race, including $29,000 in prize money split between the two divisions. Guild members also volunteer at the finish line tent and host a post-race reception.
